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- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
This article was produced in partnership with Open Farm, who provided samples in exchange for an honest review.
The last decade has seen radical changes in the world of dog food. With increased emphasis on everything from unusual single-source proteins to fresh, raw, and freeze-dried options, the latest dog foods offer a varied diet with new tastes and textures, making eating a much more exciting activity. They also increasingly offer huge wins for high-quality ingredient sourcing and environmental sustainability.
But the new food types aren’t right for every dog—which is why pet parents might be pleased to hear that traditional dry dog food is getting an update at the hands of Open Farm, the company that made their name with sustainable, environmentally friendly fresh food.
We test and review the line of kibbles that’s bringing dry food back into the conversation.
A Review of Open Farm’s Kibble Recipes
Does kibble need to be exciting? For most pet parents and dogs, dry food is still the optimal choice. Kibble is easy to store in bulk, convenient to feed, and a reliable source for daily nutrients—all without creating extra dishes to wash. Plus it can go where your pup goes without requiring rehydrating, freezing, or refrigeration. And lots of dogs find it plenty tasty.
Where dry food has traditionally fallen short, though, is in consumer-focused perks like transparent sourcing of ingredients, human-grade quality standards, sustainable packaging, and animal welfare—standards more often associated with fresh food. Open Farm’s dry food aims to deliver all three, while accommodating a wide range of special dietary needs.
Oscar poses next to Open Farm’s salmon recipe like a model test pup.
A focus on healthy food for a range of diets
One thing that especially impressed our testers was the range of kibbles Open Farm has crafted. Many of them are a good choice for special diets and allergies.
Dog food allergies aren’t common, but they are a headache for pet parents with sensitive pups. The most frequent culprit is the protein—which makes Open Farm’s range of novel proteins (proteins a dog isn’t likely to be allergic to) handy.
Open Farm’s kibbles:
- Homestead Turkey & Chicken
- Harvest Chicken & Ancient Grains
- Grass-Fed Beef
- Wild-Caught Salmon
- New Zealand Venison
- Pasture-Raised Lamb
- Catch-of-the-Season Whitefish
- Pork
It’s also possible to find almost all of their recipes in grain-inclusive and grain-free options (though grains are rarer as an allergy). And for those looking to cater to puppies or senior dogs, there are recipes for that as well.
Open Farm’s salmon and lamb recipes offer novel proteins.
Transparently sourced ingredients
There’s been a lot of talk about how to read dog food ingredient labels. Basic precautions include looking for a protein as the first ingredient and watching out for fillers and mystery meals. But some of the highest-grade fresh dog foods take things a step further and offer transparent ingredient sourcing: the ability to look up a unique lot code to find out where a particular package’s ingredients come from.
Open Farm is now bringing this benefit to kibble—and making it easy, according to our testers. We visited Open Farm on the web and entered the lot code for our bags to find out when they were packaged and where each ingredient was sourced. Test pup Oscar’s salmon, for example, was wild-caught from the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of Alaska, and the pumpkin in the recipe comes from Michigan.
Oscar’s salmon recipe was packaged just a couple months before it made it to us.
High quality standards
“Human grade” is a term that isn’t often associated with dry dog food—but Open Farm sources their human-grade, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free meats from the same companies that supply chains like Whole Foods, and their fish are exclusively wild-caught from clean waters. Animal-derived protein makes up at least 70% of every recipe.
Gentle cooking at low temperatures preserves nutrients, and processing is kept to a minimum with ingredients like pumpkin and apple.
They’ve also undergone extensive trials, with every recipe formulated in-house by a team of vets, animal scientists, and nutritionists, then tested by third-party accredited labs that validate the nutritional profile (AAFCO-approved) and ensure the food is 100% pathogen free.
We rewarded Oscar handsomely for this well-timed wink.
Dr. Angie Krause, DVM, CVA, CCRT and Open Farm Vet Partner, stands by their work. She tells Rover, “The most impactful way to support health and longevity in your dog or cat is to feed a high quality diet free of toxic preservatives, artificial colors and without corn and soy. … The formulas are top-notch nutrition for even the most sensitive pet.”
Sustainable practices make for sustainable kibble
Open Farm’s efforts toward sustainability impressed our testers too—and, according to Open Farm, make a difference in the quality of their food too.
Recyclable packaging. Most pet food bags contain a mix of plastic and foil that can’t be recycled—but Open Farm has partnered with TerraCycle to make it possible for pet parents to mail their empty food bags to a facility that turns them into reusable plastic pellets that make everything from park benches to shipping pallets. We’ve tried the process and found it straightforward (though per usual, saving the planet requires a little effort).
Local ingredients. Over 90% of Open Farm’s vegetables are locally grown, which cuts back on emissions from transport and supports farmers. It’s part of their 10-year plan to offset direct operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Rigorous farm animal welfare standards. Open Farm guarantees their animal protein comes exclusively from animals that meet the humane requirements of Global Animal Partnership and Ocean Wise Seafood, including a wholesome diet and space to roam.
They make the case that those standards impact nutrition and taste too, arguing that animals raised stress-free on natural vegetarian or grass diets (free from antibiotics and growth hormones) tend to be leaner meats with better amino-acid profiles. Our test pups largely agreed—and the turkey in particular was a win with one very picky eater, who eats her full portions enthusiastically and without a meal topper (unprecedented for a kibble).
Meda, the picky eater in question, is a fan of Ancient Grain Turkey.
Our Recommendation: Open Farm Raises the Bar for Kibble
For pet parents who feel the lure of fresh dog foods but can’t make the switch—for health, budget, or practical reasons—Open Farm has done an excellent job of rolling the benefits of fancier options into a dry food. Our reviewers were impressed by their commitment to sustainability, and our test pups liked the variety of dry kibbles they tried.
Overall, we think Open Farm’s dry dog food is likely to be a winner for pet parents who
- want the convenience of a kibble with the quality standards of newer fresh alternatives
- are looking for a sustainable, environmentally responsible way to feed their pup
- prioritize transparent sourcing
- need a novel protein for a dog with food allergies
Dry food isn’t for all pups, though, and among those who may want to look elsewhere are pet parents who
- have a picky eater who prefers the texture of fresh or wet food
- need a wet food that offers hydration
- want to prioritize a cost-effective kibble
For those in the latter camp, Open Farm’s gently cooked fresh food (also tested and approved by our pups) or bone broth additive may offer useful workarounds.
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