Sonoma Hot Sauce

08/17/2026

First ya make a roux!

08/17/2026

The Battle of the Professions

One day, all kinds of professionals gathered together and started bragging about who had the most important job.

The doctor said, “Without me, people would be sick!”

The engineer replied, “Without me, there would be no buildings, bridges, or machines!”

The teacher said, “Without me, none of you would know how to do your jobs!”

The lawyer smiled. “Without me, you’d all be in trouble!”

The IT specialist laughed. “Without me, you wouldn’t even know your password!”

Then the businessman stood up. “Without me, where would you get your money?”

Everyone looked at the chef.

The chef said, “Without me, you’d all be hungry.”

The driver added, “And without me, you’d be walking!”

Then they noticed someone quietly sitting in the corner.

It was the farmer.

They asked, “Farmer, what do you have to say?”

The farmer simply smiled and said:

“Doctor, who grows the food you eat to stay healthy?”

“Teacher, who feeds you while you’re busy teaching?”

“Engineer, what will you build if there’s no food to feed the workers?”

“Chef, what will you cook if there are no farmers?”

“Businessman, what will you sell if there’s nothing to harvest?”

“IT specialist… good luck fixing the Wi-Fi when your stomach is empty.” 😂

Everyone became quiet.

Then the farmer stood up and said:

“Every profession is important. But before every profession can work, somebody has to put food on the table.”

Because while everyone was busy building the world…

the farmer was busy feeding it.

08/17/2026

08/12/2026

Sonoma Hot Sauce: The Next Chapter

It's been a little over three years since I've posted here, and I thought it was time for an update.

Many of you know my story from the Martha Stewart feature. Sonoma Hot Sauce started with a dream, a lot of hard work, incredible peppers, and a belief that simple, fresh ingredients make the best food.

We were honored to earn Double Gold, handcrafted thousands of bottles, and built something I was incredibly proud of.

Then COVID happened.

Like so many small businesses, everything changed. Production came to a halt, supply chains were disrupted, and plans I had worked so hard to build were put on hold.

Since then, I've also been working to resolve outstanding production issues with a former manufacturing partner. We recently reached out by email to reconcile what happened to approximately 200 kilograms of my pepper mash that remained with them after production stopped, along with bottles and other inventory. My hope is to get clarity, recover what I can, and finally bring this chapter to a proper close.

Looking forward, not backward.

Over Labor Day week I'll be attending Odoo Experience Americas at Pier 27 in San Francisco. My goal is to meet manufacturers, co-packers, and industry professionals who can help me rebuild Sonoma Hot Sauce the right way—with reliable production, professional systems, and a strong foundation for the future.

If I can recover the pepper mash and remaining inventory, I'd love to produce another run of Sonoma Hot Sauce. My hope is that those sales will help me continue rebuilding the business and work toward paying off the SBA EIDL loan that helped fund the purchase of that pepper mash.

This journey hasn't been easy, but I haven't given up.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Sonoma Hot Sauce over the years. If you're still here after all this time, I'd love to know. Leave a 🌶️ or say hello in the comments.

Here's to new beginnings—and hopefully getting Sonoma Hot Sauce back on your table.

— Deb Rock