Farmer's Dog food review: human-grade fresh dog food that my pet loves – Insider

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I’ve been a pets editor and writer for two decades and before that I was an assistant in veterinary clinics, so I know how important it is to feed my dog a healthy, balanced diet. While I’ve always purchased high-quality canned and dry food, fresh food takes pet nutrition to an entirely new level.
Over the last year, I sampled a handful of fresh dog food delivery services with my 11-year-old miniature poodle, Jäger. One of these was The Farmer’s Dog, an early entry into the fresh pet food market that launched back in 2014.
After feeding Jäger The Farmer’s Dog for a month, I can see why it has a loyal subscriber base. Below, read my Farmer’s Dog review, from the signup process to my dog’s appetite for the recipes we tried. 
The subscription-based service exclusively uses human-grade ingredients and prepares its recipes in USDA-inspected kitchens. It delivers throughout the United States, with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii. Everything is shipped automatically, from weekly to every two months depending on your dog’s portions. If you’ll be away, it’s easy to pause shipment. 
To create a meal plan for my dog, I answered questions about his breed, weight, age, activity level, and health issues. Jäger is of a normal weight and exercises daily, so the algorithm allotted him about 400 calories a day.
I could choose from four different recipes (turkey, beef, pork, and chicken) and receive up to three different ones per shipment. I chose turkey, beef, and chicken, which cost about $45 a week to feed my 20-pound dog. 
The Farmer’s Dog emailed me an estimated delivery window and a tracking link as well as a notification when the package arrived at my doorstep. Though I didn’t experience any issues, customer service is available via email ([email protected]) or phone (646-780-7957).
Two weeks of fresh-frozen food came packed in a recyclable cardboard box with dry ice and biodegradable insulation. The unopened box safely keeps the food cold up to 11 p.m. on delivery day.
Inside the box, a recyclable food storage container holds the plastic packages of frozen meals. I immediately placed a few in the fridge to thaw. Since the packs are very flat, it was easy to store the remainder in the freezer.
The Farmer’s Dog recipes come packaged in preportioned amounts for your dog along with instructions for how much to feed each day. My dog ate half a pack per day. It was a little challenging to portion out the servings, but the company suggested a good method: I squeezed the food to create a clean line in the middle of the package, then cut it in half. There is potential for a little spillage, but that was never a big issue for me. The food stays good in the fridge for several days.
Any pet food should be labeled complete and balanced to ensure your dog gets the proper nutrition. The Farmer’s Dog recipes are formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for all life stages. The company also has a full-time animal nutritionist on staff, as recommended by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association.
Compared to shelf-stable dog food , The Farmer’s Dog food is very minimally processed. It’s gently cooked at low temperatures and doesn’t contain any by-products or preservatives, which is why it must be frozen or refrigerated.
It should come as no surprise that the food looks more like something I might cook for my human family. The meals contain whole food ingredients like meats and vegetables, fish oil, and added vitamins and minerals. I could see all the different chopped ingredients. Depending on the recipe, there were Brussels sprouts, bok choy, broccoli, sweet potatoes, lentils, carrots, parsnips, and spinach.
My dog absolutely loved The Farmer’s Dog. He gobbled it up and licked the bowl clean every time. Though he’s not a picky eater, I would be surprised if any dog turned its nose up at this food. He seemed to do well on the food from looking at his poops, which were small and well-formed.
The downsides are the same across most fresh food brands. Custom diets are not available, so if your dog has a food allergy, you’ll need to check the ingredients lists. You need to remember to move the food from the freezer to the fridge for it to thaw. It’s also not a great options for dogs that like to graze. If left out for hours, it can spoil.
Fresh pet food is understandably more expensive than kibble and canned dog food, and The Farmer’s Dog is indeed pricey, costing between approximately $3 to $13 a day. For that bigger price tag, however, you get recipes developed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists that contain high-quality, human-grade ingredients. If you’re looking to make a switch to dog food that’s fresher and minimally processed, The Farmer’s Dog is a solid choice.
Pros: Human-grade ingredients, recipes formulated by board-certified veterinary nutritionists, minimally processed, easy to store in freezer storage, convenient auto-delivery via subscription
Cons: Expensive, limited recipes to choose from, food packs must be transferred from the freezer to the refrigerator to thaw, food packs a little messy to portion from after opening, fresh food can’t be left out all day like kibble

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