But then again, Sharon Parlane has never followed a conventional career path, listing lorry driver, a spell in the army, nanny and nurse on an eclectic CV.
Yet at a youthful 42, Sharon says she has finally found true job satisfaction as a breeder of rare pigs, which for her is the realisation of a childhood fantasy.
"Both my granddad and my dad kept pigs and I grew up wanting to look after pigs,'' she explains.
"It's all I ever wanted to do. This really is a dream come true for me.''
And now she's living the dream at the expansive Winmarleigh home she shares with partner Colin Wilding and seven-year-old daughter Meggie, Sharon isn't about to compromise her passion just for turnover and profit.
Instead she is far more driven by her love of pigs and the desire to preserve some of the rarest – and often endangered – breeds.
Which is why the arrival of a healthy litter of piglets to her
Gloucestershire Old Spot sow this month is cause for much celebration at Long Meadows.
Sharon says: "The Gloucestershire Old Spot is classed as an 'at risk' breed, in 2004 there were only 727 registered in the country, so it is really brilliant that we've got these healthy piglets, all of which have an impeccable pedigree.
"I slept in the barn for 52 hours when she was in labour and afterwards to help her get used to the piglets because she is a first-time mother. She actually had 12 in the litter but two were born dead and we lost one, but it's still fantastic that we got these nine.''
Most will be sold on but Sharon says she will keep one back for breeding to gradually increase the Long Meadows herd – which also includes an officially 'endangered' Large Black - and to develop her conservation programme.
"I've always been interested in conservation. I've always supported wildlife charities, things like raising money for Giant Panda conservation and sponsored walks for the Diane Fossey Foundation for its work to protect gorillas.
"It's natural for me to want to use my interest in pigs to try and preserve some of these rare breeds.
"Foot and Mouth almost wiped out many of the breeds so work like this and having the litter of Old Spots is important.''
North Lancashire isn't exactly renowned for its pig farming, much less its rare breed pig farming, but Sharon says there is a network there, with local shows – notably at Great Eccleston – increasing their pig sections and interest is growing all the time.
Sharon herself is no novice at this game and worked for several years at Bowes of Norfolk, which, for the uninitiated, is to pig farming what Bernard Matthews is to the turkey trade.
Even in such a huge concern Sharon was one of the few women working with the pigs at Bowes, but her natural ability shone through and her fantastic pig records on the farrowing section eventually saw her headhunted for an extremely well paid job running a large pig farm in the New Forest.
Unfortunately, that job didn't work out as planned and Sharon drifted out of the industry – but always vowed that one day she would again follow her pig farming dream.
Sharon Maskell (as many will remember her in pre-marriage days) grew up in Thornton and later St Michaels-on-Wyre, where her father ran a joinery business. She had returned to live in the area, at Preesall, when she began dating Colin, one of the sons of highly successful local businessman John Wilding.
Colin and Sharon bought Colin's father's house in Winmarleigh and it is there that the Long Meadows herd is now based, named after the house and also in deference to a theme established by John Wilding, who incorporated Long Meadows into the names of his racehorses.
Sharon is hugely grateful to both Colin's and her own family for the help and encouragement they have given her with the Long Meadows farm. Colin himself is more than happy to assist with the business and as well as helping to deliver the odd litter of piglets can also be relied on for a ready source of first rate pig food, with his employers, Thomas Moss Ltd of Goosnargh, allowing him to take off-cuts and spare scraps of vegetable stalks back home for the animals.
The children, Meggie, Hayley, 18, and Declan, 12, all pitch in as well to make it a real family concern.
Sharon says: "Everyone has helped me to realise this dream. We are so fortunate to live in this beautiful house that Colin's father sold to us with all this land and buildings, I got the money for the fencing from my mum and Colin has been very supportive. I really believe in what I'm doing and they have shown faith in me.''
From a little girl with a big dream it has taken Sharon quite a while to reach her goal – and she really couldn't be more thrilled.
In fact, you could say she's as happy as a pig in... well, you know the rest.
To contact Sharon about the Long Meadows herd call 07932 574538.