They decided to raise pigs on pasture to support animal welfare and replenish the soil after decades of pesticide-heavy Christmas tree farming.

They slowly ramped up production—from 20 to 40 to 60 pigs—over their first few seasons, selling the pork exclusively at three different farmers’ markets. While Christina loves the customer connections that retail markets provide, and the Menchinis were able to charge a premium for the meat they sold, they soon realized they needed to take a hard look at the financial sustainability of their business. Growing the business was daunting. The couple apprenticed together at an operation based on the farmers’ market model, and the wholesale market was uncharted terrain. “It was hard to imagine what that would look like,” she says.