HANCOCK COUNTY — One of Hancock County’s most vocal advocates for local agriculture has died.
Earl “Rusty” Smith, 60, passed away peacefully Wednesday, Aug. 11, after a brief illness, with his family by his side.
Known for his long beard, large stature and ever-present denim overalls, Smith was a longtime fixture in the local farming scene, having been a dairy farmer for most of his life.
An Eastern Hancock High School graduate, Smith three children in Hancock County with his wife, Barbara Jean, with whom he celebrated his 40th wedding anniversary in June. His family remembers him as a loving husband, father and grandfather.
Smith was an avid supporter of the local farm-to-table movement and was a longtime vendor at the local farmers’ markets in Greenfield and Cumberland. He was one of the founding members of the Hoosier Harvest Council, which he served as president for several years.
Current president Amy Surburg, who runs Berry Good Farms in Morristown, said Smith left an indelible mark on the local agricultural community, and he will be sorely missed.
“Earl was a great person to work with. He knew everyone, and helped strengthen our local food network in the Hoosier Harvest Market Co-op,” said Surburg, whose farm is not far from Smith’s.
“The Smith family have been wonderful and supportive neighbors as I learned how to farm over the last five years,” she said.
Surburg said Smith played a big role in integrating produce from multiple county farmers into food access projects through Hancock Regional Hospital and its Healthy365 initiative.
Smith also served as a member of the Hancock County Extension board for many years, where he worked with former extension educator Roy Ballard.
“When it comes to working with the community, the first rule of success is you’ve got to show up, and Earl always showed up,” said Ballard, who worked with Smith for 14 years.
“He was always there to listen and process and to give his perspective and his feedback, and really helped along a lot of discussions about the local farmer’s market and Harvest Market,” he said. “He was always really committed to everything he did.”
Smith demonstrated that same dedication as a longtime advocate for local tourism, serving on the Hancock County Tourism Commission from 2011 to 2018, including stints as both president and vice president.
“He was passionate about promoting Hancock County and agriculture,” said the tourism director, Brigette Cook Jones, who served on the board alongside Smith for several years.
“He was always supportive of events and attractions that were located in some of our more rural communities, just as much as the ones in our bigger towns and cities,” Jones recalled.
When she was hired as the director of the Hancock County Tourism & Visitor Center in 2017, “he and I worked closely together to form a new vision for tourism…. It was a lot of work, and Earl’s support and insight in those early days was invaluable,” she said.
“Earl was always willing to seek out advice from others and wanted what was best for our communities. He loved Hancock County just as much as I do, and he always wanted other people to see what a great place it is to visit and live.”
Jones said some might be surprised to know that despite his grizzled farming exterior, Smith was also a passionate supporter of community theater. He performed in a handful of local productions over the years, most recently as the patriarch, Jacob, in the 2019 production of “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
“While his appearance sometimes portrayed a simple country farmer, he was very intelligent, insightful, and articulate,” said Jones.
Her favorite picture of Smith was one of him sitting on his tractor with his straw hat on, reading a poem to two of his grandkids. The photo was used in a “Reading with Riley” campaign for the James Whitcomb Riley Boyhood Home in Greenfield.
“You don’t see many farmers reading poetry on a tractor — but that was Earl — always promoting Hancock County,” Jones said. “He was a great guy with a good heart, and he will be deeply missed.”
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An obituary for Earl Smith is on Page A3.
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