How The Farmer s Dog Food is Making a Mark in the Pet Industry

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 20, 2024

Contributions sourced from

The Farmers Dog

The Farmers Dog Information

The Farmers Dog is an industry leader in the home-delivered fresh dog food niche. Their product line of premium dog food is not sold in traditional pet food stores and is instead delivered straight to their customers doors.

This new niche in dog food has seen huge growth over the last five years, with brands like The Farmers Dog,Nom Nom,Ollie,Spot & Tango, andPet Platebeing some of the big players.

This customized service is currently available in all 48 contiguous states but not Hawaii or Alaska. Sadly, The Farmers Dog is not yet available outside the United States in countries such as Canada.

The brand takes several pieces of key information from potential customers, including a dogs breed, weight, age, and activity level, and then develops a tailor-made plan to meet their nutritional needs.

You can see an example page from this quick process below or you can try it out yourself here.

This tailor-made dog food from the Farmers Dog is then frozen and shipped in a manner that it remains frozen during transport. The cold storage ensures that the food does not waste or deteriorate until the customer can safely store it in their home.

Once delivered, the food can be stored refrigerated or in a freezer until required, providing dog owners with extra convenience.

In regards to the brands background, Brett Podolsky and Jonathan Regev founded The Farmers Dog in 2014. The company came about when Jonathan was searching for food to improve the health of his sick rottweiler, Jada.

The duo found that making fresh food at home improved her health and got the inspiration to create a fresh dog food brand.

In early 2019, The Farmers Dog announced it had raised $39 Million in venture funding, which was the largest of any pet-related startup at that time.

How Much Does The Farmers Dog Cost?

While fresh subscription-based dog food services, such as The Farmers Dog, are more expensive than traditional kibble, their cost is not outrageous.

We priced up the cost of a plan for ahigh-activity Golden Retrieverto give you a visual example.

As you can see below, The Farmers Dog would cost$121.62 for two weeks worth of fresh dog foodor$60.82 withThe Farmers Dogs initial 50% discount offer.

This works out to be a little under $9 per day at full price or just over $4 per day with thediscount.

This pricing from The Farmers Dog is very similar to their competitors and cheaper than some of these by a small margin.

For smaller breed dogs, you can expect plans from the Farmers Dog to range from $3-$6 per day, and for larger breed dogs with high-calorie intake requirements, plans can vary between $10-$15 per day.

However, an important trait to mention is that The Farmers Dog allows you to easily alter your recipe choice if your dog is not satisfied, as well as put your subscription on pause.

We strongly recommend checking out The Farmers Dogs FAQ page, which can be foundhere, to learn more about their subscription model and deliveries.

The Farmers Dog Product Range

Dog Food

The Farmers Dog originally had three unique dog food recipes available for selection; however, this has recently been increased to four recipes. This includes a recipe that focuses on Beef, Turkey, Pork, and Chicken.

This product range is in line with some of the other fresh home-delivered dog food brands such asNom NomandPet Platebut is still dwarfed by the dozens or hundreds of recipes available from the traditional pet food companies.

However, the small size of The Farmers Dogs product range is likely sufficient to offer most dogs variety in their diet and shouldnt be cause for negative reviews. If a particular recipe does not agree with them or they do not enjoy it, there are three other options available.

All of The Farmers Dog recipes are grain-free, which is important to clarify as many dog owners are having second thoughts about grain-free dog food.

The Farmers Dog is somewhat unique when compared to its competitors in the niche, as they also provide detailed instructions and recipes on their site about homemade dog food. These recipes allow dog owners to makehomemade dog foodthemselves.

While making homemade dog food can be tricky, time-consuming, and requires significant research, it is viable and a lifeline for some dogs with severe dietary restrictions.

You can find The Farmers Dogs homemade dog food recipehere.

Cat Food

The Farmers Dog does not currently produce any cat food recipes at this time.

While the homemade or freshly prepared cat food market is still extremely small when compared to dog food, it is likely that many established companies, such as The Farmers Dog, may soon take advantage.

This opening is being exploited by one of The Farmers Dogs competitors,Nom Nom, which has a single cat food recipe available to purchase. There is also another smaller brand called Smalls, which sells fresh home-delivered cat food.

You can read our review of the Smalls brand here.

Many cat owners are just as enthusiastic and passionate about their kittys diet as dog owners can be, so it is a space in the industry that will surely be filled.

The Farmers Dog Nutrition

Please note, the above chart is based on The Farmers Dog Guaranteed Analysis. This nutritional breakdown is an estimate, and the actual values are likely to include a slightly higher proportion of protein and fat and a somewhat lower proportion of carbohydrates.

As you can see above, The Farmers Dogs dog food recipes provide a satisfactory balance of the three core nutrients for dogs. The proportion of protein and fat is significantly above average when compared to other dog food recipes, while the proportion of carbohydrates is considerably below average.

Moreover, the bulk of the protein and fat found in The Farmers Dog recipes is from animal-based sources, which are preferred to plant-based alternatives.

This nutritional profile provided by The Farmers Dog is perfect for dogs of all activity levels, including those that are more active. This suitability is reinforced by the fact that The Farmers Dog ensures that your dogs portion size is tightly controlled.

This portion control is crucial to many dogs to ensure they avoid overeating and then suffering from associated health problems such as obesity.

To see the nutritional profile of each of The Farmers Dogs recipes, follow theirSign Up Process, and you progress to the Your Plan page where you can see each recipes Guaranteed Analysis and a Dry Matter Typical Analysis.

See below for an example of this (Beef Recipe).

If you would like to learn more about canine nutrition, we would highly recommend reading our Dog Food Guide for an in-depth breakdown and discussion.

The Farmers Dog Ingredients

The Farmers Dog uses Human Grade ingredients that are sourced from the United States. This sourcing is a bonus to many consumers that are untrusting of ingredients from outside the United States.

The Farmers Dog also states that they do not process their ingredients to increase their shelf life. While processed ingredients dont necessarily harm dogs or humans, many of The Farmers Dogs customers will appreciate this choice.

High-Quality Meat Ingredients

Turkey
Chicken
Beef
Pork
Pork, Chicken, & Beef Liver

While The Farmers Dogs range of meat ingredients is quite small, they would all be considered high-quality and nutritious.

Named meat and fish ingredients should make up the bulk of any dog food as they can provide high-quality and easily digestible protein and fat.

Some of these ingredients, like Turkey and Beef, are extremely popular choices in the industry. Pet food manufacturers fully utilize these ingredients thanks to their low-cost and the fact that they are easy to source.

Those who pay close attention will notice that The Farmers Dog makes use of organ meat ingredients such as Pork LiverandBeef Liver which can be advantageous to many dogs health.

This advantage is as organ meat, such as the Liver, can provide Vitamins and Minerals that are often lacking in traditional meat cuts.

Also, many claim that organ meat ingredients, such as liver, can enhance the flavor of dog food and make them more appealing.

Other Notable Ingredients

The Farmers Dog makes extensive use of Sweet Potatoes & White Potatoes. These Starch ingredients are common across many dog food recipes and brands.

They are a dense source of carbohydrates, but they can also offer dietary fiber and some vitamins and minerals.

Potato By-products such as Potato Protein should be avoided as they are considered to be inferior ingredients. Thankfully The Farmers Dog does not make use of these.

You can learn more about Potato Protein and other Potato By-products in our articlePotatoes, Potato Protein & Potato Starch in Dog Food.

However, The Farmers Dog does not only use starches and also includes some legumes such asChickpeas, Lentils&Green Beans.

This selection is somewhat unusual as it excludes Peas, which are the most common legume used in dog food.

Legumes are the most commonly used vegetable in grain-free dog food for several reasons. This popularity is as they are affordable and can add additional plant-based protein to recipes that may be ordinarily low in protein.

However, we strongly believe that this extra protein should not replace animal protein, which it sadly does in recipes from some brands.

However, in recent years there has been a concerning link between a high intake of legumes in dog food recipes and an increased rate of Canine Heart Disease.

While the portion size of legumes in The Farmers Dog recipes is relatively small, this is a topic to keep an eye on. You can learn more about this in our in-depth articleBest Dog Foods Without Peas.

For a general overview of Legumes like Peas and Chickpeas, check out our articlesPeas, Pea Protein, Pea Flour, and Pea Fiber in Dog Food&Chickpeas In Dog Food.

Several ingredients that rarely feature in dog food areParsnips,Carrots,Broccoli, andBrussel Sprouts, but The Farmers Dog makes use of all of these in some of its recipes.

These vegetables are quite different from starches or legumes, which are staples of the industry. They do not provide significant levels of plant-based protein, nor are they as dense a source of carbohydrates.

However, that does not mean they are negative additions to a dog food recipe, as both of these factors can be considered adverse by many. All four of these ingredients can also provide a plentiful supply of fiber to aid the digestion of dogs.

For more information on ingredients used in the brands recipes, we recommend checking out The Farmers Dogs FAQ page, which can be found here.

The Farmers Dog Animal Testing

At this time, we have no information on whether The Farmers Dog participates in any invasive testing on animals, such as laboratory-style testing. However, despite a lack of evidence, we do not believe that they participate in this style of testing.

Many pet food brands avoid disclosing information on their animal testing or feeding trials as they fear negative reviews or backlash from their customers.

This is especially true in newer brands, like The Farmers Dog, which heavily markets to ethically conscious consumers who are concerned about animal welfare.

However, others in the industry have shown concern about a lack of transparency and believe that many dog food brands are carrying out sufficient trials to demonstrate their food is well-suited.

We strongly believe that laboratory testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice and one which we hope will see a severe decline or elimination.

The Farmers Dog Expertise

While it isnt clear what involvement they have with The Farmers Dog, there are three veterinary professionals listed on their site who go on record to recommend The Farmers Dog. The professionals include Dr. Jonathan Block, Dr. Alex Schechter, and Dr. Catriona Love.

However, it does not appear these vets are directly involved in the ingredient selection or nutritional make-up of The Farmers Dog products.

However, in The Farmers Dogs FAQ Page, they mention that Our board-certified veterinary nutritionists carefully formulate each recipe to be 100% complete and balanced according to AAFCO standards.

There has been a push within the industry to be more transparent about how their recipes are formulated and which qualified professionals are involved.

Without a qualified professionals involvement, many believe that some dog food recipes are not properly formulated, and their nutritional make-up may not be adequate or suitable.

Other Fresh Home Delivered dog food brands, such asNom Nom, have a dedicated pet nutritionist who formulates their recipes.

In contrast, huge pet food brands likePurina Pro PlanorRoyal Caninhave an army of researchers and professionals.

The Farmers Dog Recalls

To the best of our knowledge and research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), products created by The Farmers Dog have never been recalled making them a recall-free dog food brand.

This lack of recalls is a positive trait and shows that to date, The Farmers dog has taken the safety and quality of its production process seriously.

However, many in the industry consider fresh food, such as those produced by The Farmers Dog, to garner a higher risk of contamination or other health risks.

This increased risk is as fresh food must be cooled appropriately to avoid it going bad and bacteria taking hold. However, traditional dry kibble has far fewer restrictions and can be stored at room temperature.

As a consequence of the above, we encourage you to be vigilant of any future recalls of The Farmers Dog or any other fresh dog food products to ensure your dog remains healthy and safe.

Best of The Farmers Dog

Pork & Sweet Potato Recipe Review

While we are big fans of all four of The Farmers Dogs dog food recipes, we had to narrow down our it down to a single favorite. While it may be surprising to some, we decided to go with the Pork Recipe for several reasons.

The most important factor of all is the fact that the recipe makes use of a large portion of Pork and Pork Liver.

These ingredients can supply a more than adequate supply of animal-based protein and fat, which is critical to a dogs diet.

In particular, the Pork Liver can boost levels of less common and beneficial vitamins and minerals such as Iron, Copper, and Vitamin A.

Moreover, organ meat ingredients like Pork Liver can be more flavorful or palatable than traditional meat cuts, helping to ensure that the recipe is appealing to dogs.

These Pork ingredients are then combined with a mix of White Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes. While some may be put off by these starch ingredients, they supply a modest proportion of carbohydrates and some dietary fiber to aid digestion.

Lastly, the formula is rounded out with some less common vegetable ingredients, such as Green Beans and Cauliflower.

The use of these ingredients is unique and may be a pleasant surprise to many dogs who enjoy their flavor and texture.

Dont forget to clickhereto receive 50% off your first order from the Farmers Dog, with no promo code required.

The Farmers Dog Featured Articles

Best Dog Food Without Chicken This post discusses the need for dog food without chicken-based ingredients and why some dogs cant eat chicken. This information is critical given that Chicken is one of the most common allergens among dogs.

The Farmers Dog provides some excellent chicken-free options, which earn it a place in this article. Be sure to take a read if you are interested in other chicken-free alternatives.

Best Dog Food Made In The USA For many US-based dog owners, buying USA-made dog food is critical.

Some do this to support their local industries and companies, and others do it due to regular recalls from imported dog food in the last few decades.

In this article, we discuss USA-made dog food and highlight several excellent options at a range of price points, including a recipe from The Farmers Dog.