STERLING — When Vanessa Smith passed away in March, many of the loyal fans and customers of Rota Spring Farm expressed how much they would miss her and her presence in the farm store.
Smith was a longtime staple at the farm, having joined the team as a manager in the early 2000s. She was a familiar face at the popular spot and could often be found in her corner office with her best four-footed K9 pal Rusty lying nearby.
“Vanessa’s true life’s passion and purpose was managing Rota Spring Farm Ice Cream & Farm Store,” the multigenerational family business posted on social media shortly after she died. “She cherished the friendships that she made with her employees and all the customers … Vanessa would get a big kick out of how much attention Rusty would get. She also adored her cat ‘Sophia’! Vanessa was a strong and determined woman with a big heart and kind soul. Vanessa will be deeply missed and we will always remember her.”
Rota Spring owner Dave Rota is on the long list of family, friends and patrons who knew and loved Smith. The two met at a water treatment class more than 20 years ago and started talking about the farm and how she was raised on a farm in Barre.
“One thing led to another, and I asked her out to dinner and we started dating,” Rota recalled.
He went on to say that issues would crop up at the farm and his duties there would often get in the way of them spending time together, something Smith came up with a solution for.
“I was always late, this broke, help me fix this,” he imparted. “She said ‘This isn’t going to work. I’m going to help in the office.’” Smith took over doing payroll and bookkeeping, paying bills, training new help, overseeing ice cream scoopers, doing all the ordering, and so much more as a partner who helped grow the business to what it is today.
“I only had the farm itself to worry about. It was a huge help,” Rota said.
When asked what he misses most about his longtime significant other, the third-generation dairy farmer was quick to say, “everything.”
“It’s hard when someone has been there for so long,” Rota said. “I had peace of mind and didn’t have to worry; she did everything.”
Nowadays he is back to not only doing all the farm fieldwork but also being involved in the business side of the busy farm. They hired someone to take over where Smith left off, and Rota said, “She’s doing good. You don’t learn this overnight.”
Rota said Smith’s Army veteran half-brother, whom she lost touch with and hadn’t seen in years, came knocking on the door last year and said he understood that his sister worked there.
“They lost touch for a while,” Rota said of the siblings who had the opportunity to reconnect. “They got a chance to get together before she passed.”
Smith’s trusted sidekick Rusty died in November 2021, a great loss for the animal lover.
“They always enjoyed talking to her and she loved talking to them, especially if there were animal questions, and about growing stuff, the weather,” Rota said of Smith and their customers. “She loved talking to them.”
