Branch County Teams Earn National Silver Ranking
Published: Friday, November 21, 2025
Branch County 4-H and the Branch Area Career Center FFA as well as the State of Michigan were well represented by four youth who competed in three national meats evaluation contests. Darren Drake, Lucy Jones, Caleb Souva and Audrey Thornburg competed in the Nebraska Beef Youth Meat contest in Lincoln, N.E. on Oct. 19, the National 4-H Meats contest on Oct. 21 in Manhattan, Kan. and the National FFA Meats Evaluation contest on Oct. 29 in Indianapolis, Ind.
Carter VanAkin was an alternate youth who practiced with the team and attended the FFA competitions. The students won the State 4-H and FFA contests in May and had been practicing judging carcasses and identifying meat cuts until the national competition at Bontrager's processing and local grocery stores in Coldwater as well as utilizing online resources. All the competitions involved the youth judging beef and pork carcasses, fresh hams and identifying a total of 40 cuts of meat from beef, pork and lamb.
The FFA contest also included the students taking a written test, solving a ground beef meat formulation, yield and quality grading four beef carcasses, identifying muscles and bones, a keep/cull class, and answering two sets of questions. The 4-H contest differed by requiring the youth to give three sets of oral reasons.
The team was coached by Melissa Souva and was fortunate to have Earl Souva escort the team to Manhattan, Kan. and the FFA advisor—Ali Bassage and Carrie Preston to Indianapolis, Ind.
The team earned a Silver ranking in the National FFA Meats contest, placing 22nd out of 42 teams. Caleb, Souva, Thornburg and Jones earned silver individual awards while Drake received a bronze award. The FFA competition was funded by the Branch Area Career Center FFA program and the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund.
At the Nebraska Beef contest the team placed 17th and 16th in the National 4-H contest. Students also toured and met with student ambassadors at the University of Lincoln and Kansas State University to explore collegiate opportunities and visit the American Royal.
Due to limited 4-H funding, the youths worked at the Branch County Fair Eat Stand with the Bronson Pioneer 4-H Club in August, served food and cleaned tables at the Coldwater Culvers in Sept. for three hours, earning $600 from sales and donations, and promoted meats judging during National 4-H Week with a yard display in Bronson and earning $100 for first place from the Branch County 4-H Foundation.
A variety of individuals, organizations and businesses also supported our Michigan team including: the Michigan Youth Livestock Scholarship Fund , the Michigan Cattleman's Assn., Michigan Cattleman's Foundation, Asama Coldwater Manufacturing, Lawson Logging, Dale and Sally Stuby, Larry and Pam Mackey, Terry and Shirley Gratz, Sally Lindsey, Clevenger Insurance Agency, The Andersons of White Pigeon, Autumn Converse-Michigan 4-H, and the Branch County 4-H Foundation.
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