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Pros
- Open Farm has a significant variety of natural food products for your pets.
- The ingredients are ethically and sustainably sourced, and it is free from artificial preservatives.
- Open Farm believes in transparent practices for all of the ingredients on the platform.
- They offer a personalized meal plan with the right mix of healthy ingredients for the dog.
- They save you time and effort when planning and preparing the dog food considering the packaging options.
Cons
- It is more expensive than regular commercial kibble due to the high quality of the dog food.
- There are no large or small breed-specific options for dogs.
Open Farm is a Toronto-based company that supplies human-grade dog food made with locally sourced ingredients. Vying for a spot as one of today’s best fresh dog food, it is also family owned and initiated with the desire to develop nutritious pet meals with high-quality ingredients. When the company explored their alternatives, they found the meat in several dog foods was from farms that did not ethically treat their animals. Open Farm opted to create a line of dog food that meets these standards. Open Farm currently sells a variety of dog food options, including freeze-dried raw, dry, wet, and gently cooked fresh dog food.
Features of Open Farm
High-Quality Ingredients
Each recipe may come with different proteins, including beef, turkey, fish, lamb, pork, and venison. The animal protein in Open Farm is also free of antibiotics, growth hormones, and the fish is wild-caught. As such, each of the ingredients has zero artificial flavouring and fillers. Aside from animal protein, fruits and vegetables are also used in their recipes to give additional nutrients. They are non-GMO and locally sourced, and nearly 40 percent are grown in the same town. That increases the convenience considered as well.
Transparency
Open Farm happens to be very transparent when it comes to showing customers where their ingredients are sourced. The website has a code tracer, which allows the customer to put in the lot number for the dog food. This tracer informs where each ingredient is sourced and verifies the products’ quality. It is a bit unprecedented for dog food manufacturers as they rarely verify the sourcing of the food.
Sustainable Packing
Open farm does not leave sustainability to the farmers but has also made some efforts toward having an eco-friendly business. That is illustrated by the packaging, which is eco-friendly. Open farm has also linked with Terracycle, which also focuses on problematic packaging which would end up in a landfill. Open farm also notes on their website they have made the first American-wide recycling program for dog food bags. You can also pack an Open Farm bag collaborate with Terracycle. They will then upcycle the dog food bags for better products. Some may not be bothered by the process, but if sustainability is something you prioritize, this is the platform for you.
Freeze-Dried Raw Dog Food
Many customers may prefer fresh cooked food, but if you prefer the convenience that comes with kibble, Open Farm freeze-dried raw dog food may be a good option. 85 percent of the freeze-dried protein is ethically sourced and humanely raised farm animal ingredients. These are combined with organic, logically sourced foods such as spinach, coconut oil, and kale. The freeze-drying also pulls the moisture from the food, making it stay for a long time. Though, it does not necessarily destroy the bioavailable nutrients through heat. Though the resulting clusters look like big pieces of kibble, they are a bit more airy and crunchy.
Rotational Bundles
Open Farm is available with rotational bundles like the Puppy Essentials pup, which introduces the dog to different flavours and textures instead of only one formula. Considering switching protein sources and formulas does not only keep the sensitive eaters interested but also reduces the chance of allergy development [1]. It also makes sure your dog gets the right amount of nutrients. The other advantage of rotational diets is that mixing different types of food may also help you give the dog highly affordable foods. Diets that are exclusively fresh or wet food may seem better than the combined or kibble options, but they can be expensive. As is the case with Open farm products, you can subscribe to a rotational bundle at a discount, in fact. This ensures the dog always gets the nutritious foods needed, and you will not have to worry about restocking.
Pricing
Open Farm has various food options that cost differently depending on the package. Dry kibble prices vary widely. It can cost 18.99 for a quarter pound of chicken and grain. $119 would be for a bag of lamb that would last a month. When it comes to freeze-dried food, you can get $9.99 for 0.21 pounds of food. There are different prices as well for treats and bone broth, at $9.49 and $20.99 for every three pack.
Is It the Right Choice for You?
Open Farm provides human-grade and ethical dog food options using various recipes. The good thing with Open Farm is the different recipe options and dog food approaches, which cost less than the solely fresh meat alternatives. They have dry, fresh, and freeze-dried dog food which is gently cooked. Slow cooking is great because it does not burn off the nutrients but has the temperature to kill the pathogens. It is also very palatable for dogs because of the slow cooking method. Open farm is good for all dogs despite their age and size.
