Meet Sarah Rodriguez

We recently connected with Sarah Rodriguez and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

Growing up we didn’t have a lot but we had everything we needed. My Daddy worked hard all day then came home and worked some more. His work ethic allowed for my Mom to be able to raise us kids as a stay at home mom. We grew up doing chores and earning any money that we needed. Things weren’t handed to us. If we didn’t work then it wasn’t deserved and not paid to us. My siblings and I were taught that you don’t take a man’s money if you didn’t do the work.
We were true kids of the 80’s, we worked and played outside all day. We explored and made our own adventures. I really think my upbringing molded me to be the hard working person I am today. I learned to love all things nature and the outdoors. I was given my start in 4-H and my obsession took off from there.
I set goals for myself and talked with my parents. They always encouraged and supported me. I was the first person in my county to receive the Ohio State FFA Degree, that was a huge accomplishment for me. I raised my kids the way I was, my Grandma always said I was doing it right and not to let anyone tell me otherwise and make me feel lesser.
My interests were always different than others in my family and I embraced it and do my thing, There are other entrepreneurs in my family but my business and ideas are different. Some of it is just getting started and I’m still working on building and becoming stronger and better but I am on my way. With my work ethic and practices my kids have been taught to work hard, thrive,and sometimes they shake their heads at my ideas but we all roll with it and I love it all.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My husband and I live on 10 acres of rural farm land. It’s not huge but it’s us. We have built everything that we have from hard work. If I dream it, we make it happen. Our farm is usually a semi controlled chaos. We have a full orchard, grape vineyard, berry patches, a weedy garden, livestock, and projects. We try to utilize as much as our land as possible and provide for our family. I worked in the medical field for 14 years until my daughter needed me home to help with her health problems. From there we became a single income family. I learned canning from my aunt but I took it even farther and learned and did so much more to try to help provide for my family and did it in a healthier and more sustainable way. I took what I learned in my youth and researched and taught myself so much more. Now, We process our own meat along with preserving most of our food. This way of life has been hard but fulfilling.
We live in a small community where lots of people are like minded and always willing to teach and help. I was asked to teach some classes one year by a friend on homesteading and a new obsession was born. I realized that I was able to teach and talk with people in an educational manner and the skills I was teaching were important and of need. I loved it. With persuasion and insistence I started a YouTube page, Rod Ridge Farm, where I do homesteading and skills. I have also written two books. One on butchering, with help from my friend Randy, and the other on canning and preserving and stocking your pantry. Remember, I was in the medical field, I wrote everything down and charted, I carried that over to my personal life. If I see it I research and write down the recipe, directions, or whatever it entails to do it. That is where my second book came from. I am now working on a second edition to that book because I have accumulated so much more information and need it all in one easy to find spot.
In my network of friends we have started The Modern Homesteader and teach hands on classes about skills needed to provide for yourself and family. These are starting to take off more and we do two classes a month. As part of my Rod Ridge Farm we make about 18 varieties of jelly that we sell, tap maple trees and sell syrup, raise livestock, I also butcher poultry for people. We are starting a Petting Zoo on the farm in spring of 2026, I’m pretty excited about that.
I am very involved in my community where I set on the board for the Vinton County Cancer Research Group, I participate in 4-H with my kids, manage the Vinton County Farmers Market that I helped to bring back in 2024 because our county has a lot to offer and had no market. As mentioned I teach The Modern Homesteader Classes and teach skills with Heritage Skills USA.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Hard work is the most important quality. To be successful you have to be willing to put the work in. Find your niche and go with it. What someone thinks is a better idea may not be for you. Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd and make your own path, own it. Lastly, don’t go all in. Start with what you know and build in steps to be successful. I am still building and extending in my homesteading journey. Some things just don’t work, so scrap it and go to the next step.
As far as advice, don’t put the cart before the horse. It makes it harder to get your plans in motion. I tend to jump in with both feet before thinking things through and it can be very disheartening when it is hard. Homesteading and farm life is hard. Things happen that are not in your plans and sometimes you just want to throw in the towel. If it were easy everyone would do it. Don’t be afraid to mess up and laugh at yourself, sometimes you laugh or you cry and I’m a glass is half full kind of girl.

How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?

Honestly, I would do the same thing I am doing. I love my life and job. I love to see people when a skill is figured out and a goal is met. There are a lot of ideas that I have for my business but I am one person and I am not financially able to build on them. I work with what I have and can handle. Aside from my lifestyle that I would continue with my family the only other thing I would do is travel some and see what our country has to offer in the way of its beauty and natural resources. Otherwise, I am living my best life!

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Rod Ridge Farm, The Modern Homesteader
• Youtube: Rod Ridge Farm