Trisha Covert, the 18-year-old daughter of Ivan and Rebecca Covert of Chicora, has a different lifestyle than most college freshmen.

When not attending classes at Butler County Community College, she often can be found in her family’s dairy barn milking cows, feeding calves or unloading hay.

Twelve members of her mother’s family live and work at Moser’s Dairy in Oakland Township, where they milk 40 Registered Guernsey cattle twice a day and farm about 250 acres.

This summer, they baled 8,000 and 10,000 square bales of hay and straw to use for the herd during the winter.

The Moser name is well known for its top quality Guernsey genetics.

Trisha owns 10 of her own animals and had great success this summer at the Big Butler Fair, the Butler Farm Show and Lawrence County Fair.

Her personal show highlight came at the Butler Farm Show when her little March calf, Oakland PradasMavery, was named supreme champion from among all heifer breeds, in addition to her 2-year-old cow being named grand champion Guernsey.

“I certainly did not expect to get supreme champion heifer,” Trisha said that day. “I just couldn’t believe it.”

Showing cows is one of Trisha’s favorite activities.

This week, she and other family members will make the annual four-hour trek to Harrisburg for the all-American Dairy Show at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center.

She is taking three of her animals and will participate in four days of state and national dairy competitions.

“The all-American is exciting because you get to show against a lot more competition,” Trisha said. “It’s a thrill seeing how your cows compare.”

She also adds that showing and breeding her own dairy cows is “continuing what my family has always done and working to breed better animals.”

Her favorite cow is Oakland Les Laney, which had a difficult birth so Trisha provided special care to get her on track as a calf. She’s now 4 years old.

“I even had my prom picture taken with her,” said the recent Butler High School graduate.

Trisha is a 10-year member and co-president of the Butler County 4-H Dairy Club.

She belongs to the B&B 4-H Dairy Judging Club, where members visit dairy farms to practice evaluating dairy cattle, then travel to compete in judging contests. Trisha has competed against the 4-H groups at Penn State University, Ohio State University, the New York Spring Dairy Carousel in Syracuse, N.Y., and at the Canfield County Fair in Ohio.

She is the secretary of the Butler County 4-H Youth Council, whose members serve as the countywide teen leaders and 4-H spokespeople.

Trisha is busy with the Butler County Dairy Promotion Program. She has served as the Alternate Butler County Dairy Princess and is a Dairy Ambassador.

She also appreciates the chance to be involved with community service projects through 4-H.

She cites events such as Sunnyview Day, where club members shared time with the residents at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, and Kids Day America, a family event hosted by Care Chiropractic that chose the Butler County 4-H as its beneficiary this year.

“Events like those give us a chance to talk about 4-H while giving back to the community,” Trisha said.

She also is involved in planning the square dance that her 4-H dairy club will host from 8 to 11 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Butler Farm Show grounds. Open to the public, the money donated at the gate goes to the club.

“Organizing events like this square dance gives everyone a chance to get involved and help with club activities,” Trisha said.

It’s because of her service, leadership and 4-H involvement that Trisha was awarded one of six scholarships given this year by the Butler County 4-H Development Committee.

“You make friends in 4-H that you’ll be with for a lifetime because you show together and have the same interests,” she said.

For information about the county 4-H, contact Jean Kummer at the Extension Office at 724-287-4761, Ext. 224.