As many of you know, I’m a vegetarian. I’m also a buy local, eat only fresh foods, save a snapping turtle, move a stuck bat, stop for every stray animal kind of girl. I’ve often been picked on for this 😉

When I got married, I started on a mission to get my husband to purchase only ethically sourced animal products. He’s made some major changes to his purchasing habits over the last few years, which has made me feel a lot better. However, I knew I still needed to make a few more changes. I knew improvements were necessary for Mauja and Atka’s diets as well.

I can carefully comb through the ingredient list and ensure the food made and sourced in the USA with high-quality ingredients, but that doesn’t usually tell me how the ingredients were acquired. In my opinion, that information is just as important as the ingredients themselves. That’s why I was super excited to learn about the Open Farm brand.

Our grain-free recipes focus on a limited set of premium proteins, fruits, and veggies that are raised naturally, responsibly, and humanely. By working exclusively with farmers who share our commitment to exceptional quality and sustainable farming practices, we make a better food for your pet while doing some good for family farms, farm animals, and the environment. – Open Farm

Open Farm makes me feel like I’m doing good by Mauja and Atka with their strict adherence to humane animal care by:

• ensuring meat and poultry is 100% certified by the Humane Farm Animal Care Program. The HFAC standards ensure animals have ample space, shelter, and gentle handling as well as a healthy, antibiotic and hormone free diet. The animals are free to live how they would naturally.
• offering sustainable ocean caught fish that is free from antibiotics and artificial feeds. The fish are caught in a way that will cause minimal damage to marine habitats and other non-target fish and endangered species.
• mandating fresh and local fruit and vegetable sourcing. The manufacturing facility is regularly audited by the USDA, FDA, and AIB International to ensure maintenance of food and safety standards.

Open Farm is consistently working to reduce their environmental footprint, which is extremely important in today’s world. Currently, there are four main ways they do this:

• Bag Recycling Program – Open Farm has partnered with TerraCycle to launch the first North American pet food bag recycling program. Since approximately 95% of pet food bags are not recyclable, Open Farm worked to create a better bag that can be recycled and turned into new products rather than sent to a landfill.
• Farming Standards – All partner farms must adhere to strict standards to help protect the water, air, and ground.
• Fishing Standards – Fishing methods that avoid overfishing help protect the aquatic environment.
• Local Sourcing – All fruits and vegetables are brought in locally to reduce fuel-heavy ground transportation.

Currently, Open Farm has three, grain-free formulas:

Homestead Turkey & Chicken
Catch-of-the-Season Whitefish & Green Lentil
Farmer’s Market Pork & Root Vegetable

Feeding Open Farm to Mauja and Atka makes me feel like I’m doing good for them and the environment by giving them only the best possible ingredients. The only “complaint” I have is the size of the kibble. For most dogs, this won’t be a problem, but they are a bit small for giant breeds (they could definitely snort these up their noses!). Thankfully, Mauja and Atka are pretty good at chewing their food, so I don’t really worry with them.

So in 2016, let’s all do good by pets and pay more attention to how all animals are being treated <3

Want the chance to try Open Farm for your dog? Enter the giveaway below! If you just can’t wait, look for an Open Farm retailer near you or purchase here!

About the Giveaway:

No purchase necessary. Giveaway is open to those 18 and over. It’s Dog or Nothing is not responsible for issues with or delays in prize fulfillment. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depends on number of entries received. Giveaway will run from Friday, December 18, 2015 through Saturday, December 26, 2015 at 11:59pm PT. One (1) winner will be randomly selected by Rafflecopter and notified via email. Winner will have 48 hours to claim their prize; failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the prize. Participants must read and agree to It’s Dog or Nothing’s and Rafflecopter’s Privacy Policy before entering and participating in this promotion. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram do not sponsor, administer, or endorse this promotion. By entering this contest, participants grant permission for their email address to be added to It’s Dog or Nothing’s newsletter list.

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