Over several months in 2023, I tested the best fresh dog food delivery services with my pup. Among them, The Farmer's Dog stood out as both the most popular and the most affordable. The company, founded in 2014, delivers fresh, frozen meals directly to your home. You can start with a two-week trial box to decide if it's the right fit for your pup.
For our two-week trial, I fed my 50-pound pit mix, Lyla, two of the brand's recipes: beef and turkey. I evaluated everything from my experience with ordering and delivery to ease of feeding, and, most importantly, Lyla's enthusiastic tail wags at every mealtime. Since then, Jaclyn Turner, Insider Reviews senior home editor, tried the service for a full month with Reese, her 20-pound cavapoo.
In this review, I break down our experiences with The Farmer's Dog across several key aspects, from ease of ordering to overall quality.
How it works
Recipes: The Farmer's Dog recipes meet the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) nutritional standards for puppies and adult dogs. The company also aligns with the Global Nutrition Guidelines set by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA).Veterinarians say these are the gold standard for choosing pet food. The brand has also tested its recipes through AAFCO feeding trials. It also conducted a yearlong feeding study in collaboration with the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
The Farmer's Dog offers seven recipes: beef, chicken, turkey, pork, chicken and grain, beef and grain, and pork and grain. Each one includes salmon oil, an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Research shows that the best fish oil for dogs can support skin, joint, immune, and cardiovascular health.
| Recipe | Ingredient highlights | Guaranteed analysis |
| Chicken and Grain | Chicken, chicken broth, oats, chicken liver, collard greens, carrots, nutrient blend, coconut oil, salmon oil | Crude protein: 7% min Crude fat: 4.5% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 74.5% max |
| Pork and Grain | Pork, pork broth, oats, collard greens, pork liver, carrots, nutrient blend, salmon oil | Crude protein: 7% min Crude fat: 4.5% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 75% max |
| Beef | Beef, sweet potato, lentils, carrot, beef liver, kale, sunflower seeds, nutrient blend, salmon oil | Crude protein: 11% min Crude fat: 8% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 72% max |
| Turkey | Turkey, chickpeas, carrot, broccoli, spinach, parsnip, nutrient blend, salmon oil | Crude protein: 8% min Crude fat: 4.5% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 76% max |
| Pork | Pork, sweet potatoes, potatoes, green beans, cauliflower, pork liver, nutrient blend, salmon oil | Crude protein: 9% min Crude fat: 6.5% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 75% max |
| Chicken | Chicken, chicken liver, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, chia seeds, nutrient blend, salmon oil | Crude protein: 11% min Crude fat: 6% min Crude fiber: 1.5% max Moisture: 76% max |
Ordering: You'll need to complete a quick questionnaire about your dog, covering details like their age, weight, breed, and activity level. Once your order is ready to ship, The Farmer's Dog will send you an email with billing details and a shipping confirmation.
Customization: After you enter your dog's information during signup, The Farmer's Dog provides recipe recommendations. You can accept those suggestions or choose your own combination of up to three recipes. However, the food cannot be customized for food intolerances or allergies.
Delivery: Delivery times vary, but food is shipped on a recurring schedule to ensure you never run out. You can also pause shipments or change your delivery schedule whenever you need.
The Farmer's Dog ships its food in boxes packed with dry ice and insulation.
Jaclyn Turner/Business Insider
Packaging: Food is packed in a large box and kept frozen with dry ice and corn starch insulation. Recipes come in vacuum-sealed plastic pouches that are easy to stack in the freezer. A plastic container to store opened bags of food in the refrigerator is also included.
Our review of The Farmer's Dog
After completing the questionnaire on The Farmer's Dog website, I placed my order. It ended up being one of the most affordable services I tested. Currently, two weeks of food for a 50-pound active dog like mine ranges from about $90 to $122, depending on the recipes you choose.
My recipes shipped a few business days after I ordered them, and the box arrived promptly. Initial orders come with a storage container, an insulated tote bag, and a complimentary bag of treats.
In addition to conveniently portioned packages, your first box of The Farmer's Dog comes with a storage container, treats, and an insulated tote bag.
Jaclyn Turner/Business Insider
Although I picked the box up immediately after delivery, the dry ice had already converted to gas, and the recipe on top had thawed. Turner's food, on the other hand, was completely frozen on arrival and came just two days after she placed her order. While the food I received was still cold and safe to feed, I recommend unpacking and storing it as soon as it arrives.
I was pleased with how well the pouches fit inside my freezer. The Farmer's Dog packages its food in long, stackable pouches that can be stacked neatly in deep, narrow freezers. With some other fresh dog food delivery services, their tall, square packaging wasn't a good fit for my narrow freezer.
I was also impressed by how convenient the food was to serve. A feeding guide was included in my box, and each pouch was labeled with feeding instructions. With many services, I had to log in to my account to find feeding instructions, but The Farmer's Dog took the hassle out of that.
You can easily see carrots and collard greens in The Farmer's Dog Chicken and Grain recipe.
Jaclyn Turner/Business Insider
I could distinctly see each ingredient, and the meals looked more like something I'd eat myself than traditional wet dog food. "I love being able to identify the ingredients inside of the food, whether I spot lentils, carrots, kale, or spinach," Turner says, adding that the food smelled fresh, like a meat casserole.
Lyla was a fan, too. She enjoyed both the beef and turkey recipes, enough to keep coming back to her bowl for breakfasts and dinners — something that's tough to get her to do with most dog foods.
Both of our dogs approved of The Farmer's Dog food, from their first taste through our entire feeding trials.
Jaclyn Turner; Sophia Carlisle/Business Insider
Reese tried the chicken and grain, beef, chicken, and turkey recipes. He favored the chicken and grain and beef, meats which he eats regularly, but he also enjoyed the turkey. "He'd even return a few hours later, looking for more, which I'm not sure is out of hunger or just wanting more," Turner says. "He'd keep eating and eating if I didn't portion control."
Cons to consider
A few factors have kept The Farmer's Dog from rising to the top in our fresh dog food rankings. For one, it's hard to find detailed information about the recipes just by browsing the website. You have to complete the feeding questionnaire and provide your email address before you can view ingredient lists or nutritional information for the recipes. Even after placing my order, I found it tricky to navigate the site to find recipe details.
Another drawback is that the Farmer's Dog offers only four proteins and three grain-inclusive recipes. If you're looking for more protein options, I recommend JustFoodForDogs, which counts lamb, venison, and fish among its recipes. Some Freshpet recipes, on the other hand, contain blends of meats, such as beef, turkey, and lamb.
Note that The Farmer's Dog contains choline bitartrate, a nutrient that researchers have linked to a new, rare type of bladder stone found in dogs. This ingredient is found in many fresh dog foods, including JustFoodForDogs and Nom Nom, as well as some pet supplements. If your dog has CTT stones, it's essential to consult your veterinarian, who may recommend a diet that doesn't contain this ingredient.
The bottom line
The Farmer's Dog is an excellent fresh dog food delivery service, with recipes that our dogs loved. The food is also a breeze to store and serve. While I wish there were more protein options, The Farmer's Dog may be your best bet if you're looking for one of the most affordable and convenient fresh dog food subscriptions.
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