At least 25 horses face an unknown future at Smithfield Farm on Sandwich Road, East Falmouth, as back-to-back inspections from the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) and the Falmouth Health Department showed the farm failed to meet safety standards.
In its Monday, December 7, remote meeting, the board of health upheld Health Agent Scott McGannâs decision not to reissue a stable permit and granted the farm six weeks to relocate its horses before facing a fine of $5 per day beginning January 18.
âThe main issue is the structural integrity of the barn,â McGann said Monday in a virtual address to the board. Despite the pleas and some tears from Falmouth equestrians who called into the open meeting on Zoom, there was admittedly little the five health board members could do this week to reverse the fate of commercial operations at Smithfield Farm.