The Farmers dog food

Phoebe and Sundae liked it - but neither has ever turned down any fresh dog food. I found it cost prohibitive for our medium and large dog family.

Seems like the Farmer’s Dog offers some different recipes, which could be exactly what your poodle is craving. Let us know how it goes!

Feeding a variety of dry and fresh foods, and rotating proteins, is the best way I’ve found to meet Peggy’s mental and physical needs. Makes sense, since dogs are natural scavengers. Plus, who likes eating the same thing every single day? We’re just careful to keep track of what we feed and when, just in case she reacts poorly to something.

So how does that food come to you? Is it cold-packed?
I ask because I was feeding FreshPet and my vet told me how many dogs get salmonella from it. Not because of the of the food but because of careless handling along the way. Shippers/stockers thinking dog food doesn't need refrigeration.
But the Farmers Dog is delivered to your door right?

Pearl Grey said:

So how does that food come to you? Is it cold-packed?
I ask because I was feeding FreshPet and my vet told me how many dogs get salmonella from it. Not because of the of the food but because of careless handling along the way. Shippers/stockers thinking dog food doesn't need refrigeration.
But the Farmers Dog is delivered to your door right?

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It is very well packed in a cardboard box with insulation inside and dry ice. Mine was still frozen solid.

There are other brands that sell food that might be similar to Farmer's Dog food. I never really looked too much into their food because they wouldn't list the price right away (which I understand would go against their process for customizing it to your dog).

Other options:


Also Gently Cooked Dog Food Archives

Not sure how their prices match up with Farmer's Dog, but "gently cooked" food is becoming more common. I don't recall these 2 brands having that option a few years back.

I should add that I've never tried those options either due to cost, but I respect both brands.

It matters if your dog eats it. As long as your pup is eating and likes it, that's the important thing. Rhonda eats Just Food For Dogs from time to time. That's very similar to Farmers Dog. You can get it via subscription. I purchase one bag at a time at Petco. Right now her favorite is Honest Kitchen, duck/chicken/turkey pate mixed with her Purina Pro Plan. She also likes a little Atlantic Salmon from time to time (once a week or two).
Poodles seem to be a bit more particular about what they eat.

I've been using Farmers Dog for a year. Daisy loves it and usually eats it all. Occasionally we have to put a "fire starter" in her food - i.e. something to get her going. An egg, yummy protein etc.
She also is a picky eater and Farmers Dog was a lifesaver. I tried cooking fresh for her, but it was time consuming and the quantity I had to cook was daunting.
As someone said in the thread, it is expensive - more so if you have a big dog. One detail I like about it - Daisy was a couple of pounds under the weight I like her to be and after a quick call to Farmers Dog, her calories were upped and I believe she has gained some weight!
Also, I have never had an issue with the food being thawed when it arrives - it's always frozen or nearly frozen.

Not quite Farmers Dog, but I just got samples from Sundays - Air-Dried Food for Dogs and Jackie seems to really like it. It's dried food, so no need to thaw. Wondering if anyone has experience with them?

perce said:

Not quite Farmers Dog, but I just got samples from Sundays - Air-Dried Food for Dogs and Jackie seems to really like it. It's dried food, so no need to thaw. Wondering if anyone has experience with them?

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I am curious about theirs. I just ordered the samples (thanks! I didn’t know you could do that).
I’m curious what the texture is like. Is it really light like freeze dried food? Is it chewy or crispy?

But we won’t be buying it as a main food. It looks like they sell it $200 at a time (beef) or $180 at a time (chicken) and it says they think Sundae would need it every 2-3 weeks and Phoebe would need it every 4-5 weeks. Maybe it’s different packaging and less cost for small dogs.

Starla said:

I’m curious what the texture is like. Is it really light like freeze dried food? Is it chewy or crispy?

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It's something in between chewy and crispy... maybe a little more chewy than kibble (which I would describe as crispy).

For now I'm going to just use Stella & Chewy's Meal Mixers as a topper for Jackie's Purina Pro Plan kibble but am very open to experimentation. The subscription strategy of Sundays is deterring even though it says I can pause or cancel "anytime."

perce said:

Not quite Farmers Dog, but I just got samples from Sundays - Air-Dried Food for Dogs and Jackie seems to really like it. It's dried food, so no need to thaw. Wondering if anyone has experience with them?

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Looks like it might be similar to Ziwi Peak.

Dogs4Life said:

Looks like it might be similar to Ziwi Peak.

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I just searched for Ziwi Peak and it looks super similar!!

I miss Ziwi Peak, before they had quality control issues and went to smaller bags. If Sundays is similar, Mia will be thrilled when her samples arrive.

perce said:

I just searched for Ziwi Peak and it looks super similar!!

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Sundays is very similar to Ziwi Peak, maybe a little less oily in my experience. My two are a big fan of Sundays and sometimes opt for that over their raw food. I found Farmer's Dog and the similar gently cooked or fresh foods (Ollie's for one) all pretty similar, though Ellie got over the novelty of gently cooked/fresh foods very quickly.

Sundays I believe has two box sizes (looks like 40 oz and 72 oz). Their largest size (144 oz) is just them sending two of the 72 oz boxes. I stocked up on quite a few boxes during their end of year sale last year, when they had a generous 50% off code.

Mia enjoyed her Sundays samples. It's expensive but could be worthwhile as a treat or otherwise fed sparingly.

Afterward we got a coupon for 35% off: SITSTAY35

perce said:

Not quite Farmers Dog, but I just got samples from Sundays - Air-Dried Food for Dogs and Jackie seems to really like it. It's dried food, so no need to thaw. Wondering if anyone has experience with them?

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I have just ordered the samples. Poppy isn't particularly fond of Ziwi Peak, but it's definitely worth a shot... We only brought her home last Friday, and she's been hesitant about the kibble and wet food she used to enjoy. Out of all the options we've tried, she seems to be interested in boiled, unsalted chicken breast and pork ribs. Additionally, she seems to really enjoy being handfed. I'm contemplating giving the Farmers a try or perhaps exploring Open Farms as well.

vivimocha said:

I have just ordered the samples. Poppy isn't particularly fond of Ziwi Peak, but it's definitely worth a shot... We only brought her home last Friday, and she's been hesitant about the kibble and wet food she used to enjoy. Out of all the options we've tried, she seems to be interested in boiled, unsalted chicken breast and pork ribs. Additionally, she seems to really enjoy being handfed. I'm contemplating giving the Farmers a try or perhaps exploring Open Farms as well.

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Keep us posted on how Poppy likes Sundays! Jackie liked both Sundays AND Ziwi Peak. I actually ended up just buying Ziwi Peak regularly since I don't have to commit to a subscription. I use Ziwi Peak as a training treat.

perce said:

Keep us posted on how Poppy likes Sundays! Jackie liked both Sundays AND Ziwi Peak. I actually ended up just buying Ziwi Peak regularly since I don't have to commit to a subscription. I use Ziwi Peak as a training treat.

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For sure, though I haven't received the samples yet...I managed to find the Open Fram fresh food in a local pet store and bought 3 different flavors. I have only tried the chicken one so far, she is not interested in it.