The Farmer’s Dog Journey

The story of The Farmer’s Dog began with Jada, a sweet puppy who spent her first two years battling painful digestive problems. Her dad, Brett, tried every food on the market — all claiming to be “natural” and “healthy” — but nothing seemed to help.

It became clear the issue wasn’t Jada, but the pet food industry itself. Beneath the labels and marketing, most options were just highly processed, burnt brown pellets. When Brett finally started preparing fresh, simple meals at home, Jada’s health turned around — and a new idea was born.

Inspired by her recovery, Brett partnered with his friend Jonathan and his pup, Buddy, to create the kind of company they wished existed: one built on honesty, nutrition, and real, human-grade food for dogs.

In the beginning, Brett cooked meals in his own kitchen and packed orders by hand. The mission was simple yet ambitious — transform unconditional love for dogs into uncomplicated care, starting with what goes into their bowls.

They named the brand The Farmer’s Dog, drawing inspiration from the longest-living dogs in history, many of whom were farm dogs living on fresh, simple diets and enjoying a natural bond with their humans.

Today, what began as a handful of meals has grown into a nationwide company with hundreds of team members, delivering millions of fresh meals every month. While the scale has changed, the heart of the mission remains the same: making it easier for every dog to live a longer, healthier life.

Food Quality

The Farmer’s Dog offers recipes that meet basic nutritional standards, using human-grade proteins, vegetables, and added vitamins and minerals. Their meals are formulated by veterinary nutritionists to be balanced according to AAFCO guidelines, so dogs are getting what they need in a straightforward way.

While they don’t use feed-grade ingredients or shelf-stable processing, the food is still fairly simple — clean proteins, whole foods, and the standard supplements you’d expect. Ingredients are sourced from suppliers and farms that meet human-grade standards, which puts them a step above traditional kibble, though not necessarily unique compared to other fresh food brands.