Is The Farmer's Dog worth it? The cost, by dog size

Author: Alex Baer
5 minutes read

By Alex Baer · Updated July 2026

The Farmer's Dog advertises fresh food "from $2 a day". The price is real, but it belongs to the smallest dogs on the smallest plans. Because the company prices by individual quote, most owners have no way to see what the subscription would cost them before handing over their details, let alone how it compares with the bag they buy today.

We can put numbers on it. Our database portions both kibble and fresh plans for the same dog and the same daily calories, so the comparison is finally apples to apples: what The Farmer's Dog quotes for your dog's size, next to what those exact calories cost in dry food.

One thing this guide will not do is tell you whether fresh food is better for your dog: that conversation belongs to your vet. Whether it fits your budget, though, is pure arithmetic. Here is the arithmetic.

6x
what The Farmer's Dog typically costs for a 65 lb dog, compared with a mid-range kibble delivering the same calories
Rule of thumb. Ignore the advertised starting price. Fresh plans are priced by your dog's calories, so multiply before you judge: a 65 lb dog needs three times the calories of a 15 lb dog, and the quote scales with it. Always compare in dollars per day for your dog.

How we priced it

The comparison uses the same math as our calculator, documented in our methodology:

  1. Same dog, same calories. For each size we computed the daily need of an adult, neutered, moderately active dog: 413 kcal at 15 lb, 779 kcal at 35 lb, 1,240 kcal at 65 lb, 1,713 kcal at 100 lb.
  2. Fresh side: published plan quotes for The Farmer's Dog recipes by dog size. Quotes vary with recipe and exact calorie needs, so each size gets a range, not a point.
  3. Kibble side: every dry food in our database portioned by its own kcal per cup and priced by its largest in-stock bag. We use the median as "typical mid-range kibble".

Plan pricing changes and promotions come and go, so treat the ranges as the shape of the deal rather than a quote. For your own dog, the calculator prices both formats in two clicks.

Worked example: 65 lb dog. Daily need is about 1,240 kcal. The Farmer's Dog quotes for that size run $9 to $19 a day, or $270 to $569 a month. The same calories in a typical mid-range kibble cost $2.27 a day, about $68 a month. At the midpoint of the fresh range, that is an extra $4,300 a year for the same energy in the bowl.

Fresh vs kibble for your dog

Slide to your dog's weight to compare a Farmer's Dog plan with a typical mid-range kibble for the same calories.

For a result personalized to your dog's breed, age, and activity, use the full calculator.

Estimates only, not veterinary advice. Assumes a neutered adult dog with moderate activity. Fresh figures are published Farmer's Dog plan quotes by size; kibble is the database median. Other fresh brands often quote lower.

Dog size The Farmer's Dog, per day Per month Mid-range kibble, per month Fresh costs
Small · 15 lb $2-6 $75-191 $23 3-8x
Medium · 35 lb $5-11 $142-339 $44 3-8x
Large · 65 lb $9-19 $270-569 $68 4-8x
Giant · 100 lb $14-27 $431-803 $95 5-8x

The Farmer's Dog: published plan quotes across recipes for an adult, neutered, moderately active dog of each size. Kibble: median monthly cost across the dry foods in our database that fit the same dog. Other fresh brands often quote lower: see the full fresh vs kibble comparison.

Watch out. The multiple gets worse as the dog gets bigger. For a 15 lb dog the premium over kibble is about $50 to $170 a month, an amount many owners shrug at. For a 100 lb dog the same decision costs $340 to $710 extra every month, over $4,000 to $8,500 a year. Big-dog owners should run the numbers twice before subscribing.

The topper compromise

Dog food bowl icon If the full-fresh price stings but you still want fresh food in the bowl, arithmetic offers a middle path: use fresh as a topper. Feeding 25 percent of daily calories as fresh and 75 percent as kibble costs about $156 a month for a 65 lb dog, roughly a third of the $420 midpoint for full fresh, and $88 more than kibble alone. The blend ratio is a dial: every quarter of the calories you shift to fresh moves the bill by about the same step. Our calculator prices both parts, so you can set the dial to your budget before you commit.

Frequently asked questions

How much does The Farmer's Dog cost per month?

In our data, published quotes run about $75 to $191 a month for a 15 lb dog, $142 to $339 for a 35 lb dog, $270 to $569 for a 65 lb dog, and $431 to $803 for a 100 lb giant breed. Where you land inside the range depends on the recipe and your dog's exact calorie needs: active and intact dogs sit higher, seniors and couch dogs lower.

Is The Farmer's Dog ever cheaper than kibble?

Not in our data, at any size. The cheapest Farmer's Dog quote we track costs more per day than the most expensive kibble in our database for the same dog: the two price ranges never overlap. The honest question is not whether fresh saves money, it does not, but whether the format and convenience are worth a known multiple to you. This page gives you the multiple.

Why does the price rise so fast with dog size?

Because plans are priced per calorie, and dog calorie needs scale steeply with size. A 100 lb dog needs about four times the calories of a 15 lb dog, so a quote of $2 a day for the small dog becomes $14 or more for the giant. Kibble calories are simply much cheaper to produce and ship, so in dollars the gap widens from about $100 a month to $500 or more as the dog grows.

The short version

  • "From $2 a day" is the floor for dogs around 15 lb. A 65 lb dog is quoted $9 to $19 a day, or $270 to $569 a month.
  • The same calories in a typical mid-range kibble: $23 to $95 a month depending on size. The Farmer's Dog runs roughly 3 to 8 times that.
  • The two ranges never overlap: the cheapest fresh quote beats the priciest kibble we track at every size.
  • The gap grows with the dog: for a 65 lb dog the midpoint premium is about $4,300 a year.
  • A 25 percent fresh topper delivers fresh food in the bowl at about a third of the full-fresh price.

More guides: Fresh vs kibble: what dog food actually costs · How much does it cost to feed a dog per month? · How much should I feed my dog? · How long does a bag of dog food last?

PetPortions provides portion and cost estimates, not veterinary advice. Estimates are based on breed averages. Consult your vet for medical conditions or unusual diets.

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