Dog owners always want the best for their pups, and they say you are what you eat — so there’s no reason to skimp on the food.
If you’re looking for fresh dog food with vibrant chunks of whole vegetables and meat, paired with fast shipping and subscriptions that are easy as can be to manage, you don’t want to miss The Farmer’s Dog.
How does it taste? I’ll get to that in just a bit.
In my review below, I give an in-depth evaluation of The Farmer’s Dog fresh dog food products in terms of quality, convenience, and price to help you decide if this is the right choice for you and your fluff.
Note: if you decide to choose The Farmer’s Dog for your pup, this link will give you the best deal I currently have access to.
Quality (Aggregate Score = 9)
For my quality analysis I assessed the appearance, smell, taste, and ingredients of three The Farmer’s Dog recipes: beef recipe, pork recipe, and turkey recipe.
Appearance (9/10)
The Beef recipe has a really appetizing look that’s even better than advertised—it has nice, big chunks of beef and whole vegetables. The Pork recipe is a little bit mushy and less appetizing with a dull color. When it comes to appearance, the Turkey recipe is the best with large turkey chunks and vibrant vegetables.
Smell (8/10)
All of The Farmer’s Dog food gives off this really familiar smell of human food with no aroma of any off-flavors, herbs, or additives.
Taste (9/10)
All of the recipes have flavors fit for human taste with the Turkey recipe having the least spice. There is nothing fancy in the flavors but the food definitely tastes fresh and with nice textures.
Ingredients (8/10)
Farmer’s Dog uses whole ingredients which also include organ meat (beef and pork liver) for a more well-rounded diet. The recipes are fortified with a nutrient blend of vitamins and minerals. Protein makes up 8-11% of each recipe as fed which is fairly standard among fresh dog foods. The meals are created by certified veterinary nutritionists and meet AAFCO standards.
The Farmer’s Dog also partners with USDA-inspected facilities that produce human food to make the recipes. No preservatives and fillers are added to any of the recipes. Furthermore, meals are quite fresh because they are delivered within days of cooking.
CLICK HERE: Get my best deal for The Farmer’s Dog →Fish oil is a chief ingredient in the recipes, and this helps to promote your dog’s heart health among other benefits. Other ingredients common to The Farmer’s Dog’s recipes are spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and sweet potato. The Farmer’s Dog nutrient blend fortifies the recipes with chelated minerals, such as zinc amino acid chelate and copper amino acid chelate which aid in the easy digestion of food, and further vitamins including vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, and pyridoxine hydrochloride.
The Farmer’s Dog meals are considered grain-free diets, but they do incorporate sweet potatoes, lentils, and chickpeas into some recipes as vital ingredients.
Convenience (Aggregate Score = 8)
In evaluating The Farmer’s Dog in terms of convenience, I assessed experiences with purchasing, shipping, and packaging.
Purchasing (7/10)
A subscription is required for The Farmer’s Dog deliveries. To personalize meal plans for your dog, you’ll need to answer a questionnaire in their website. The subscription is quite easy to pause or cancel, should you change your mind. You can also reactivate your subscription with a click of a button.
Shipping (10/10)
The Farmer’s Dog food delivery speed is quite impressive. Compared to other dog food delivery services The Farmer’s Dog was the fastest, although this could vary depending on your location. The dog food comes frozen in an insulated box packed in dry ice. Freebies include a reusable insulated bag as well as a disposable food container – the later struck me as superfluous. The package also comes with a feeding guide with meal schedule and tips on transitioning a dog’s diet.
Packaging (8/10)
The weight per bag may vary based on your dogs needs. My shipment came as 1lb frozen patties. The patties are packed quite thin, and The Farmer’s Dog says they typically defrost after about 12 hours in the fridge, or in a few minutes under running water.
Cost (5/10)
The Farmer’s Dog comes in at about $7 per pound of food according to my calculations. It is slightly more expensive than other brands. However, considering the quality of the food and its convenience, this price range is definitely worth it.
My Recommendation
If your top priority is delicious food for your pup then The Farmer’s Dog is an excellent choice, its a top contender for the best fresh dog food I’ve tried. They offer fast shipping, simple subscription management, and excellent customer support. Pricing is right in the middle of the spectrum when compared with competing brands, but use my link below to get the best discount I currently have access to.
CLICK HERE: Get my best deal for The Farmer’s Dog →Nutrient Analysis
The Farmer’s Dog offers multiple kinds of fresh dog food for your dog’s taste, but the three top recipes are turkey, beef, and pork.
Calorie Content of The Farmer’s Dog Recipes
| Recipes | kcal/kg | kcal per 1/2 lb |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 1240 | 282 |
| Beef | 1590 | 361 |
| Pork | 1370 | 311 |
| Chicken | 1300 | 295 |
Source: thefarmersdog.com
As Fed Guaranteed Analysis
| Recipes | Crude Protein (% min) | Crude Fat (% min) | Crude Fiber (% max) | Moisture (% max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 8 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 76 |
| Beef | 11 | 8 | 1.5 | 72 |
| Pork | 9 | 7 | 1.5 | 75 |
| Chicken | 11 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 75 |
Source: thefarmersdog.com
Macro-Nutrient Content in The Farmer’s Dog Recipes
Source: thefarmersdog.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are answers to some common questions about The Farmer’s Dog for my readers.
Has The Farmer’s Dog ever had a recall?
As of October 2022, The Farmer’s Dog has no history of recalls for its fresh food product.
Where is The Farmer’s Dog based?
The Farmer’s Dog’s headquarters are in New York, NY.
How long does The Farmer’s Dog food last?
Once thawed, The Farmer’s Dog states that the food should be consumed within four days. If dog parents keep the food frozen, the packaged meals will stay fresh for up to four months.
How much is The Farmer’s Dog per week?
My calculations put The Farmer’s Dog at about $7/lb. Based on their website’s recommendations, this translates to $14-28/week for small dogs, $35-49/week for medium dogs, and up to $70/week for larger dogs.
Is The Farmer’s Dog food raw?
No, the food is cooked.
How to Join The Farmer’s Dog
Just click the “Start Today” button on the homepage of their website (my link will apply a nice discount). You will be prompted to fill out a brief questionnaire to determine your dog’s caloric needs, select your preferred recipes, and choose your meal plan. Then just fill in your shipping and billing information and you’re good to go.
Who owns The Farmer’s Dog?
The co-founders of The Farmer’s Dog are Brett Podolsky and Johnathan Regev.