Whole Earth Farms

Whole Earth Farms Information

Whole Earth Farms is a pet food brand owned by Merrick Pet Care, which, if you hadn’t guessed, produces the well-known Merrick pet food brand.

Merrick Pet Care has been in operation since 1988, and the Whole Earth Farms brand was introduced to pet owners in 2009.

If you’d like more information on Merrick Pet Care, you can check out our review of Merrick dog food here.

We strongly believe that Whole Earth Farms recipes are produced in the United States, but it is not clear where their manufacturing facility is.

It is likely a shared facility that Merrick Pet Care uses to produce Whole Earth Farm and other brands.

Several Whole Earth Farms customers have reported that they can no longer find Whole Earth Farm recipes at their local stores.

However, to the best of our knowledge and research, Whole Earth Farms has not been discontinued and is still available at select retail stores and online at Chewy, PetSmart, and more.

Whole Earth Farms Product Range

Dog Food

Whole Earth Farms has a large range of dog food recipes, including both dry food recipes and wet/canned recipes.

Whole Earth Farms produces both a grain-free dog food range and a grain-inclusive dog food range known as “Healthy Grains”.

In addition, Whole Earth Farms sells some of the niche dog food recipes that are standard across the industry, including puppy food and small breed dog food.

Cat Food

The cat food range from Whole Earth Farms is smaller than its dog food range and is modest in size by comparison.

This range includes a mix of dry cat food and wet/canned cat food. Unlike the dog food range, Whole Earth Farms cat food range only includes grain-free recipes, and there are no grain-inclusive recipes.

Similar to their dog food range, Whole Earth Farms produces some niche cat food recipes such as kitten food and food for indoor cats.

Whole Earth Farms Nutrition

Dog Food

The nutritional profile offered by Whole Earth Farms dog food recipes is in line with other brands in its price range and is generally average to above average.

The above-average nutrition recipes include above-average proportions of protein and fat, which should be at the core of every dog’s diet.

However, the proportion of carbohydrates in Whole Earth Farm recipes is still high and far higher than many dogs require.

You can see an example of the nutrition profile of a Whole Earth Farms dry dog food recipe below.

If you’d like to learn more about canine nutrition, we would highly recommend you read our Dog Food Guide.

Cat Food

The nutrition offered by Whole Earth Farms cat food is similar to its dog food products and is generally above-average when compared to similar cat food brands.

This above-average nutrition includes high proportions of protein and fat and lower proportions of carbohydrates.

However, cats are obligate carnivores, and the proportion of carbohydrates found in Whole Earth Farms cat food recipes is still too high to be optimal. Instead, they would benefit from a diet higher in animal and fish-based ingredients.

If you would like to learn more about what an obligate carnivore is and feline nutrition and diet, check out our Cat Food Guide for an in-depth discussion.

Whole Earth Farms Ingredients

High-Quality Meat & Fish Ingredients

• Chicken
• Turkey
• Duck
• Beef
• Pork
• Lamb
• Salmon
• Whitefish

Whole Earth Farms makes extensive use of all of the common meat and fish ingredients used in pet food.

Examples of these common meat ingredients include Chicken and Beef. These ingredients are so prevalent in the industry as they are easy to source, affordable, and highly nutritious to dogs and cats.

While some of the ingredients Whole Earth Farms uses are not extremely common, they do not make use of any of the unique or exotic meat and fish ingredients sometimes found in dog food.

Examples of these would be Venison, Kangaroo, and Bison. You can learn more about these unique ingredients and why they are used in pet food in the below articles.

Best Hypoallergenic Dog Foods Guide

Best Dog Foods With Venison

Best Dog Food With Kangaroo

Other Notable Ingredients

Whole Earth Farms makes use of all three of the common starch ingredients found in pet food. These include Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, and Tapioca.

Starch ingredients are incredibly dense sources of carbohydrates, which means their portion size needs to be controlled to ensure it does not lead to excessive quantities of carbohydrates.

While most are familiar with Potatoes, many are not familiar with Tapioca. It is a starch ingredient that is not hugely popular in the western world but is very popular in other regions such as South America, where it is used as a staple.

You can read more about Tapioca, including its nutrition content and origins, in our article Tapioca In Dog Food.

Legume ingredients such as Peas and Chickpeas regularly feature in Whole Earth Farms grain-free recipes.

Legumes are the most popular choice for the plant-based ingredients of grain-free recipes thanks to their low cost, ease to source, and favorable nutrition (high in plant-based protein).

However, in recent years there have been concerns around the high usage of legumes and an increased rate of Canine Heart Disease.

While this link is far from conclusive, it has caused some dog owners to avoid food high in legumes. You can read more about this link and the alternatives to legumes here.

Unfortunately, Whole Earth Farms makes use of some vegetable by-products in its recipes, such as Pea Protein and Pea Fiber.

For the most part, these ingredients are not a positive addition to a dog food recipe and are often used to mislead consumers about the total portion size of Peas.

You can read how pet food manufacturers use this technique in our article Peas, Pea Protein, Pea Flour, and Pea Fiber in Dog Food.

Whole Earth Farms’ small range of grain-inclusive recipes makes use of grains such as Brown Rice, Oatmeal, and Barley.

Grain ingredients are often a controversial addition to dog food recipes, with many swearing to never feed their dogs food with grains.

Despite this, the grains used by Whole Earth Farms are some of those that are thought to be higher-quality, thanks to the added nutrition they can provide.

You can learn more about one of these grains in our article – Barley In Dog Food.

Chicken Fat is found in some Whole Earth Farms recipes and is used throughout the industry. It is added to pet food recipes to enhance their flavor and taste as well as boost the overall levels of animal fat present.

Chicken Fat is often chosen over alternatives, like Beef Fat, as it is relatively affordable and easy to source in large quantities.

You can read more about Chicken Fat in our article, Chicken Fat In Dog Food.

Flaxseed is another ingredient that is used extensively in the pet food industry. It is known to be one of the best plant-based sources of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids, which is one of several reasons it is popular.

These fatty acids are believed to provide several health benefits to dogs and cats, including improving the health of their skin and coat, improved cognitive function, and a reduction in the risk of certain health problems.

However, these fatty acids are not the only beneficial component of Flaxseed, and there are several more that are less well known.

You can read more about these additional benefits of Flaxseed in our article Flaxseed In Dog Food.

Alfalfa is a minor ingredient that is often added to pet food in tiny quantities, as it is believed to provide some health benefits.

While these health benefits are not conclusive, they are widely believed, and several reputable pet food brands include Alfalfa in their recipes.

If you’d like to learn more about Alfalfa, including what micronutrients it includes and their benefits, take a read of our article Alfalfa In Dog Food.

Whole Earth Farms Animal Testing

At this time, we have no information on what type of animal testing, if any, that Whole Earth Farms participates in.

However, given that Whole Earth Farms is a sub-brand of Merrick Pet Care, they likely share many similarities and practices that Merrick does.

If you’d like to see how Merrick fares in relation to animal testing, take a read of our Merrick Brand Review.

Many in the industry are concerned that there is not enough information shared regarding testing and trials and that some pet food may not be suitable for long-term consumption.

We strongly believe that laboratory and invasive testing of animals is a cruel and outdated practice and one which should be eliminated.

Whole Earth Farms Recalls

Based on our research (FDA, AVMA, DogFoodAdvisor), Whole Earth Farms recipes and products have never been recalled, which makes them a recall-free pet food brand.

Given the brand has been in operation for over a decade, it shows that they take their safety and quality processes seriously.

We hope that they continue this recall-free record in the future by maintaining high safety standards.

Despite this recall-free record, we always suggest that pet owners remain vigilant of any future recalls of Whole Earth Farms or any other pet food brand to ensure their pets remain healthy and safe.

Best of Whole Earth Farms

Grain Free Recipe With Salmon & Whitefish

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The above dry dog food recipe from Whole Earth Farms focuses on Salmon as its core meat or fish ingredient.

Salmon is an excellent choice for dog food thanks to its consistent protein and fat content as well as the high levels of the Omega 3 Fatty Acids it contains.

As we discussed earlier, these omega fatty acids can provide several benefits to a dog’s health, including an improvement in the condition of a dog’s skin and coat and a reduction in the risk from certain health problems.

The recipe also includes a smaller portion of Chicken which, when combined with the Salmon, provides a reasonable proportion of protein and fat for most dogs, especially those that are not overly active.

The recipe then uses a mix of Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes to provide carbohydrates and fiber. The portion size of these ingredients is quite large, which means there is a large portion of carbohydrates present.

Grain Free Red Meat Review

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The above Red Meat recipe from Whole Earth Farms uses a mix of Beef and Beef Liver as its primary ingredients.

Beef is an excellent choice for a dog food recipe and can provide a plentiful supply of protein and fat, along with a rich and appealing flavor.

Beef Liver is a welcome addition, and as an organ meat ingredient, it is known to be even more flavorful and can provide high levels of certain vitamins and minerals that traditional meat cuts lack.

The recipe then includes a small portion of several plant-based ingredients, including Carrots, Peas, and Sweet Potatoes.

Thanks to the small portion size of these three plant-based ingredients, they provide a modest proportion of carbohydrates and fiber.

Grain Free Recipe With Real Turkey & Duck Review

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The above Real Turkey & Duck is one of our favorite dry cat food recipes from Whole Earth Farms. While most dry cat food recipes tend to stick to a single meat ingredient, this recipe includes Turkey, Chicken, and Duck.

This combination of poultry ingredients ensures there is a large proportion of animal content present, as well as a unique and appealing flavor.

Due to this large portion size, the recipe contains a minimum of 35% protein and 14% fat which is above average for a dry cat food recipe.

Outside of this poultry content, the recipe includes a mix of Potatoes and Pea Ingredients. These plant-based ingredients provide a moderate proportion of carbohydrates and fiber.

Grain Free Real Tuna & Whitefish Recipe Pate

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While unpopular in dog food recipes, Tuna is extremely popular in wet/canned cat food recipes, and Whole Earth Farms take on a wet Tuna recipe is a respectable option.

The formula includes a large portion of Tuna, which is then joined by a smaller portion of Chicken, Chicken Liver, and Whitefish.

This combination of fish and Chicken provides a substantial proportion of animal-based protein and fat, which is critical to cats.

The Chicken Liver also enhances the palatability of the recipe and boosts the level of beneficial vitamins and minerals.

Outside of this fish and Chicken content, the recipe includes a tiny portion of Peas and other organic matter. These ingredients sum to a tiny proportion of carbohydrates and fiber, which is no cause for concern.

Whole Earth Farms Featured Articles

At this time, Whole Earth Farms has not been featured in any of our articles.

Whole Earth Farms Full Product Range

Dry Dog Food

Grain Free Healthy Puppy Recipe

Grain Free Recipe With Chicken & Turkey

Grain Free Recipe With Pork, Beef & Lamb

Grain Free Recipe With Salmon & Whitefish

Grain Free Recipe With Turkey & Duck

Grain Free Small Breed Recipe With Pork, Beef & Lamb

Grain Free Small Breed Recipe With Salmon & Whitefish

Adult Recipe

Puppy Recipe

Healthy Weight Recipe

Small Breed Recipe

Wet/Canned Dog Food

Adult Recipe

Grain Free Hearty Duck Stew

Grain Free Hearty Turkey & Salmon Stew

Grain Free Puppy Recipe

Grain Free Chicken & Turkey Recipe

Grain Free Hearty Beef Stew

Grain Free Hearty Chicken Stew

Grain Free Hearty Lamb Stew

Grain Free Hearty Turkey Stew

Grain Free Red Meat

Grain Free Small Breed Beef Dinner

Grain Free Small Breed Chicken Dinner

Grain Free Small Breed Duck Dinner

Grain Free Small Breed Lamb Dinner

Grain Free Small Breed Turkey Dinner

Dry Cat Food

Grain Free Indoor Recipe With Chicken And Turkey

Grain Free Recipe With Real Salmon

Grain Free Recipe With Real Whitefish & Tuna

Grain Free Recipe With Real Chicken

Grain Free Recipe With Real Turkey & Duck

Grain Free Recipe Healthy Kitten

Wet/Canned Cat Food

Grain Free Healthy Kitten Recipe Pate

Grain Free Real Beef & Turkey Recipe Pate

Grain Free Real Chicken & Salmon Recipe Pate

Grain Free Real Chicken & Turkey Recipe Pate

Grain Free Real Turkey Recipe Pate

Grain Free Real Beef Recipe Pate

Grain Free Real Chicken Recipe Pate

Grain Free Real Duck Recipe Pate

Grain Free Real Salmon Recipe Pate

Grain Free Real Tuna & Whitefish Recipe Pate