Open Farm Dog Foods is a Canadian company. Jacqueline Prehogan and her husband are the owners. The headquarters are in Toronto. This is where they formulate their food.
Open Farm sells its foods in Canada, the US and Australia. This review covers the foods sold in the US.
US dog foods are manufactured in Minnesota. Barrett Ag Service produces the dog food. This is a family-owned and operated company. It has 2 facilities that make 150 different pet and animal foods.
Open Farm has sustainable and ethical practices. They support improved animal welfare conditions. They also follow sustainability and transparency standards.
For our Open Farm dog food review, we’ll look at the food ingredient quality and safety of each line of food. Our dog food reviews are based on these criteria.
IS OPEN FARM A GOOD DOG FOOD?
Open Farm now offers 5 lines of dog food. Freeze-Dried is the highest scoring line. It is a low risk dog food by our criteria. Rawmix and Ancient Grains are high risk by our criteria. Rustic Stew and Gently Cooked are moderate risk.
Open Farm makes an effort to use better quality ingredients. They claim to be meticulous about sourcing.
Open Farm supports this with certifications. Their source farms practice several certification processes. They include Certified Animal Welfare Approved. This is managed by A Greener World. Global Animal Partnership is another. It’s a system based on a five-step rating system. Certified Humane is a label from the Human Farm Animal Care program. The Better Chicken Commitment is another one. It’s a science-based chicken welfare program.
Many ingredients appear to be better quality. Their beef recipes use grass fed, pasture raised beef. Fish recipes contain wild-caught fish. There is organic produce in the freeze dried food. It would be preferable to see them use organic produce and crops in all recipes. This avoids GMOs and herbicides.
That said, it’s unfortunate that a vitamin and mineral premix is used. Open Farm adds this to each recipe. It can be done to guarantee foods meet AAFCO requirements. Or it can indicate poor quality ingredients. They might not meet nutritional standards. Vitamins from whole foods include the full spectrum of cofactors. This makes them safe and bioavailable.
The Freeze-Dried line has the highest score. Points are deducted for added vitamins and minerals. There are 2 recipes with high carbohydrates. It’s good to see they have a 10/10 ingredient safety score.
The use of sunflower oil in most foods is an ingredient quality concern. Seed oils are highly processed. They’re also susceptible to being sprayed with herbicides. They’re high in omega-6 fatty acids. This can lead to systemic and gut inflammation. Recipes also contain coconut oil. It can cause undesirable changes in the gut lining.
Some lines have concerns about ingredient safety. They have crops known to have high pesticide or herbicide levels. This is a concern, especially when they appear in the top 5 on the ingredient list. Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers are a significant health risk. They affect plants, animals and soils. This is especially true of crops like legumes. They’re known to be spray dried with glyphosate.
Open Farm uses non-GMO grains like oats and quinoa. But they need to be organic. Otherwise, they’re likely sprayed with pesticides and herbicides.
Open Farm doesn’t state the omega-6:omega-3 ratio in their recipes. This is true of most companies. It’s a concern because AAFCO allows a very inflammatory ratio of 30:1. Diets rich in omega-6 fats can cause chronic inflammation.
OPEN FARM ANCIENT GRAINS
Score: 4.6/10
Ingredient List For Wild-Caught Salmon Recipe: Salmon, Oats, Ocean Whitefish Meal, Sorghum, Quinoa, Coconut Oil, Herring Meal, Natural Flavor, Millet, Pumpkin, Salmon Oil, Apples, Chia Seed, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Chicory Root, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid), Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Calcium Carbonate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Selenium Yeast, Calcium lodate), Taurine, Mixed Tocopherols (Natural Preservative) Cinnamon, Turmeric.
Open Farm’s Ancient Grains line is a high risk dry dog food by our criteria. There are 8 recipes. They have high carbohydrates with an average of 38%. Average protein is 28%. The line loses ingredient quality points for having added vitamins and minerals.
There are several ingredient safety concerns. Some ingredients have higher pesticide or herbicide risk. Brown rice has potential for arsenic contamination. Dry foods are ultra-processed. This causes a loss of nutrients due to heating. Recipes use natural flavors. Some recipes use coconut oil. It’s found to be inflammatory. It’s good to see some non-GMO ingredients used. Recipes also use wild-caught fish.
Ancient Grains Benefits
- Contains some non-GMO ingredients
- Contains wild-caught salmon
Ancient Grains Concerns
- Ultra processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- Natural flavors
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- High in carbohydrates
- Contains excessive added vitamins
- Contains excessive added minerals
- Contains high pesticide/herbicide ingredients
- Contains rice
- Unclear if all fish ingredients are wild caught
- Contains coconut oil
- Glam ingredients
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
OPEN FARM RUSTIC STEW
Score: 6.6/10
Ingredient List For Homestead Turkey Recipe: Humanely Raised Turkey, Turkey Bone Broth, Pumpkin, Carrots, Green Beans, Spinach, Red Lentils, Agar Agar, Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas), Sunflower Oil, Coconut Oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), Chicory Root, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, D-calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Selenium Yeast, Dried Kelp, Turmeric, Cinnamon
Open Farm’s Rustic Stew line is a moderate risk wet dog food by our criteria. There are 4 recipes. The line is high in carbohydrate content at 33%. This is as calculated on a dry matter basis for comparison with dry foods. Protein averages 48%. There are added vitamins and minerals. This premix suggests lower quality ingredients. This is a highly processed canned food. High heat processing depletes nutrients.
There are several ingredient safety concerns. Some ingredients have higher pesticide or herbicide risk. These are non-GMO ingredients. They can still be sprayed. Some recipes use coconut oil. It’s found to be inflammatory. It’s good to see recipes use wild-caught fish.
Rustic Stew Benefits
- Some non-GMO ingredients
- Contains wild-caught fish
Rustic Stew Concerns
- Highly processed
- High pesticide/herbicide foods in top 5 ingredients
- High in carbohydrates
- Contains excessive added vitamins
- Contains excessive added minerals
- Contains coconut oil
- Doesn’t provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Glam ingredients
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
OPEN FARM FREEZE-DRIED
Score: 8.8/10
Ingredient List For Pasture-Raised Lamb Recipe: Humanely Raised Lamb, Lamb Heart, Lamb Liver, Ground Lamb Bone, Organic Carrots, Organic Blueberries, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Organic Squash, Organic Spinach, Organic Kale, Organic Pumpkin Seeds, Organic Cranberries, Fenugreek Seeds, Montmorillonite Clay, Coconut Oil, Non-GMO Salmon Oil, Chicory Root, Organic Dried Kelp, Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Choline, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Selenium Yeast, Non-GMO Turmeric, Cinnamon, Mixed Tocopherols (natural preservative), Sea Salt.
Open Farm Freeze Dried Raw Dog Food is a low risk dog food by our criteria. There are 11 recipes. They average 10% carbohydrates. This is what’s expected in freeze-dried dog food. Average protein is 40%. Foods are lightly processed. That means there’s low nutrient loss.
There are added vitamins and minerals in all foods. Two recipes are a bit higher in carbohydrates than expected. Otherwise, these foods contain higher quality ingredients. There is grass fed, pasture raised, grass finished beef. You’ll see wild caught fish. The salmon oil appears to be farmed. Organic produce minimizes pesticide/herbicide risk.
Freeze-Dried Benefits
- Low in carbohydrates
- Lightly processed
- Contains less fat than protein
- Beef is grass fed, pasture raised and grass finished
- Contains all organic produce
- Whole fish ingredients are wild caught
Freeze-Dried Concerns
- Added vitamins & minerals
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Salmon oil appears farmed
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
OPEN FARM GENTLY COOKED
Score: 6/10
Ingredient List For Harvest Chicken Recipe: Chicken, Carrots, Kale, Butternut Squash, Apples, Pumpkin, Water, Flaxseed, Coconut Oil, Salmon Oil, Potassium Chloride, Tricalcium Phosphate, Salt, Chicory Root, Chia Seeds, Choline Chloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate, Selenium Yeast, Dried Kelp, Turmeric, Cinnamon.
Open Farm Gently Cooked dog food is a high risk food by our criteria. There are 6 recipes. They average 41% protein. There are 23% carbohydrates as calculated on a dry matter basis. This is for comparison with dry dog food.
Gently Cooked Benefits
- Beef is grass fed, pasture raised
- Whole fish ingredients are wild caught
- Non-GMO ingredients
Gently Cooked Concerns
- Moderately processed
- High pesticide/herbicide ingredients
- Added vitamins and minerals
- Contains rice
- Salmon oil appears to be farmed
- Does not provide omega-6:omega-3 ratio
- Contains coconut oil
- Glam ingredients
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
OPEN FARM RAWMIX DRY
Score: 4.8/10
Ingredient List For Front Range Grain & Legume Free Recipe: Beef, menhaden fish meal, potatoes, sweet potatoes, humanely raised pork, humanely raised lamb, herring meal, coconut oil, pumpkin, natural flavor, carrots, apples, sunflower oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols, cranberries, pork liver, tapioca, salt, vitamin E supplement, vitamin A supplement, niacin supplement, pantothenic acid, vitamin D3 supplement, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid, choline chloride, chicory root, salmon oil (preserved with mixed tocopherols), zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, selenium yeast, calcium iodate, magnesium sulfate, taurine, dried kelp, organic butternut squash, organic blueberries, 100% animal welfare certified beef kidney, montmorillonite clay, miscanthus, potassium chloride, beef bone broth, flaxseed, cinnamon, turmeric, organic spinach, dandelion greens, organic kelp, organic apple cider vinegar, organic pumpkin seeds, organic sunflower seeds, rosemary extract.
Open Farm RawMix Dry dog food is a high risk dog food by our criteria. There are 6 recipes with average protein of 30%. Average carbohydrates are 33%. These recipes rank low in ingredient quality with high carbohydrates. There are added vitamins and minerals. Recipes use inflammatory seed oil. These are ultra processed foods. They have high pesticide foods listed in the top 5 ingredients. There is rice that may contain arsenic.
Rawmix Dry Benefits
- Beef is grass fed, pasture raised
- Whole fish ingredients are wild caught
- Non-GMO ingredients
Rawmix Dry Concerns
- High carbohydrates
- Ultra processed
- Contains seed oil
- High pesticide/herbicide ingredients in top 5
- Added vitamins and minerals
- Salmon oil appears to be farmed
- Contains coconut oil
- Glam ingredients
View The Entire Review on Dog Food Reviews
OPEN FARM DOG FOOD RECALLS
To date, there have been no recalls involving Open Farm dog foods.
Evaluation Criteria
We evaluate and score dog foods based on two criteria:
Are the Ingredients High Quality?
Here are some common low-quality ingredients or markers we look for:
- Is there excessive carbohydrate content, which can cause gut imbalances?
- Does the food contain unnamed proteins, which are low quality?
- Does the food use cellulose (wood pulp) as a source of fiber instead of real food?
- Are there excessive vitamins and minerals added in place of real food nutrition?
- Are there excessive added amino acids or plant proteins instead of expensive meat protein?
- Does the food contain inflammatory processed seed oils?
How Safe Are the Ingredients?
Many ingredients come from unhealthy, inflammatory sources or are full of pesticides so we look for:
- How processed is the food?
- Does the food contain known genetically modified foods?
- Does the food contain ingredients known to be high in pesticides?
- Does the food contain natural flavor, which are often MSG or animal digest?
- Does the food contain rice, which is high in arsenic?
Each food is objectively evaluated by these criteria and a score is assigned using the average of ingredient quality and safety. This is NOT a paid list and there are no affiliate links. Dogs Naturally has partnered with DogFoodReviews.com to make sure dog owners have unbiased, objective criteria to help them choose the best dog food on the market. You can view the full Evaluation Criteria at DogFoodReviews.com.
