Pros
- Expansive selection. Open Farm offers dry food, wet food, freeze-dried food, bone broth, slow-cooked food, treats, supplements, and eight different types of protein for both dogs and cats. Guaranteed to have something for every need and picky tongue.
- All-natural and ethically sourced ingredients. Open Farm’s ingredients are locally sourced to support smaller, Certified Humane farms and reduce their carbon footprint. The meat and produce used is completely free of hormones and non-GMO unlike commercial dry dog food.
- Stringent quality assurance. To further assure customers of product quality, they also have their products tested for nutrient content and consumption safety by a third party lab. All tests absolutely do not involve any animal testing whatsoever.
- Emphasis on Transparency. Since Open Farm puts a lot of stake on their ethically sourced and all-natural ingredients, they make it a point to give customers detailed info about their ingredients’ statistics and origin. They also openly display the results of their accreditation tests and undergo regular audits to assure customers that they constantly improve their observation of safety and quality standards.
Cons
- Price. All of those stringent ethics and quality standards puts Open Farm’s products on the pricier side. For an average dog, the daily cost is around $6-$8 and can reach up to $10.
Consumers today are getting more and more conscious about the environmental impact of their purchasing habits. With some exceptions, the higher quality the product, the bigger the toll paid by nature to produce it.
This clashes directly with pet parents who want only the best for their pets. Often, such types seek out products that market themselves as all-natural and thus more wholesome—the best fresh dog food. However, conventional wisdom suggests that the better quality the product, the higher the likelihood that there were some steps that the manufacturer skimped on to save on production costs, especially if the product is relatively affordable. They’re trying to run a business after all, and any increase to their profit margin that they can get away with is ideal.
This is not a worry at all for Open Farm products though. They eliminate any suspicion of such things by having their products and facilities constantly tested and audited to guarantee that their methods are safe, ethical, and eco-friendly from start to finish. All that while keeping their food as wholesome and as free of artificial substances as possible.
But just how comprehensive are Open Farm’s commitments to sustainability and upright farming practices? Can this be the best dog food delivery service for you ? Let’s find out.
Features of Open Farm
Multi-Skilled Nutritionist Team
Whereas most other brands only employ a team of veterinary nutritionists to formulate their recipes, Open Farm makes it a point to bring together professionals in the fields of zoology, food tech and manufacturing, as well as pet nutrition. This team diversity allows them to be more efficient when producing and adjusting custom recipes.
All-Natural Ingredients
As you may have been able to surmise from their name, Open Farm only uses natural ingredients. That means no GMOs, unwanted meat by-products, and artificial preservatives, fillers, or flavorings [1]. Open Farm is known for using ancient grains like steel-cut oats and quinoa, but they also offer grain-free fresh foods.
High Emphasis On Sustainability, Ethical Sourcing, and Transparency
A natural extension of their commitment to using natural ingredients only, Open Farm also puts extra emphasis on sourcing their ingredients from local, ethical farms to foster sustainable production. For example, all recipes that involve fish do not use farmed fish, in order to help minimize farmed fish waste in the oceans. Certified Humane, Global Animal Partnership, Ocean Wise, and Seafood Watch standards are observed by all of their suppliers. All of the information about their ingredients is available on their website, including the place of origin. Both the origin and the nutrient content are third-party verifiable.
Regular Food Safety Audits
To assure customers that Open Farm’s products are 100 percent ethical and free of harmful substances and disease, they are regularly audited by multiple food safety boards. These include the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) [1] and US Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as Certified Humane and the American Institute of Baking (AIB) International.
Constant Third-Party Product Testing
Every batch of food produced by Open Farm is sampled by an independent third-party food laboratory to ensure that their products have their intended nutrient content and are indeed free of harmful contaminants. This second, unbiased opinion serves as extra insurance for customers that the standards set by Open Farm are being met.
Zero Animal Testing Policy
Although Open Farm conducts rigorous testing to ensure that their products are of the best quality attainable, they stress that they absolutely do not involve animals at any stage of the testing process.
Partners With Recycling Organizations
To add to their already plentiful sustainability and ethical production commitments, they also partner with US recycling and waste management company TerraCycle to ascertain that they are as close to zero-waste as they can possibly be.
Excellent Customer Support
There are many reports online about their customer support being exceedingly responsive and helpful, whether it’s over phone, email, or live chat.
Is This The Right Choice For You?
There are several fresh dog food brands that bank on sustainability and all-natural products that are ethically sourced. But Open Farm goes the extra mile with regular standards audits, recycling partnerships, third-party testing, and other such measures to assure their customers that they are utterly committed to their core values and vision.
The result is a premium product that you can make use of with absolutely no worry about the environmental impact of your choice. Open Farm has already taken all the necessary steps to ensure that their products are ethical, sustainable, and wholesome as can be, and then some.
The taste and nutrition quality of their food is guaranteed by their team of specialists that work hand in hand through every step of the production process. The multi-skill nature of their nutritionist team is a significant edge that they hold over brands that only employ an in-house team of veterinary nutritionists.
The one damper on this complete and highly desirable package is the price point. Open Farm’s food is nearly double the price of many other brands’ products, including the comparable The Farmer’s Dog. Open Farm is arguably superior in quality, and is the better choice if you can afford it. Otherwise, you may want to purchase from another all-natural brand.
