Ribbonwire Ranch | Our Story: 140 Years of Land and Legacy

140 Years

of Land, Legacy, & Relentless Dedication.

Our history

Ribbonwire Ranch sits on the northern portion of the historic XIT Ranch in the Texas Panhandle, land that has been worked by the same families for over 140 years. The XIT Ranch had 23 rules. Rule No. 22 stated that the aim of the ranch was sterling honesty and integrity. That rule still guides everything we raise, everything we grow, and everything we put in your hands.

A close-up of a metallic barbed wire strand, showing the silver-toned metal and sharp barbed points against a dark background.

1885

The land that started it all

Ribbonwire sits on the northern stretch of the legendary XIT Ranch in the Texas Panhandle, land that has grown as wild and native as it did 140 years ago. The ribbonwire fence that gives us our name dates to 1885 and still runs through these pastures today.

A Texas-shaped wall art piece featuring a photograph of cowboys herding black cattle across a green grassy landscape, shown against a plain white background.

2008

Two families. One vision.

Doug Lathem and Chad Schoonover founded Ribbonwire Ranch with their wives and children beside them. A true working cattle operation, guided by deep roots in the past and a clear vision for what came next.

Two men standing outdoors in a grassy field at sunset. The man on the left wears a white cowboy hat, a light blue long-sleeve button-up shirt, and jeans.

2015

We went all in on organic

We made the call to transition every acre, every head of cattle, and the entire farming operation to certified organic. Now you know exactly what goes into every stick. Our cattle are born, raised, and finished on the same land, fed on organic crops we grow ourselves, and never leave the ranch.

A man in a blue shirt and white pants walks through a golden wheat field toward a large green John Deere tractor under a blue sky with white clouds.

2019

From our ranch to your door

We began selling our beef straight to the people who eat it. We wanted to own the whole process, from the pasture to the porch, so we could look after our customers the same way we look after our cattle. It is also where the idea that became our beef stick started to take shape.

Three people standing together at a trade show booth, wearing branded Ribbons Wire shirts and lanyards, with a large Ribbons Wire Ranch banner behind them.

2024

The Ribbonwire beef stick

After years of work, we built the Ribbonwire beef stick. Ranch-raised, organic, and clean enough to read the whole label out loud. We set out to make something different, not just in taste, but in where it comes from.

An open brown cardboard shipping box branded Ribbonwire Beef, with printed text and logos on the front and inside flaps, photographed on a clean white background.

2025 / 2026

Zero to 4,000 doors

In a single year we went from no retail presence to more than 4,000 doors across the country. Clean ingredients, real organic beef, and a taste that kept them coming back drove the rest.

Ribbonwire Ranch beef sticks packaging display with multiple black and beige pouches and stick packs arranged together on a white studio background.

2026

The Next Chapter Starts Here.

With our new 100% organic stick and almost 2,000 new places to buy them, you’ve got more chances to enjoy the beef sticks you love! But, the best spot to grab Ribbonwire is still right here: your flavor, your perfect cadence, and your very door.

A family of seven posing together outdoors in a grassy field at sunset. The group includes four men and three women, with three wearing cowboy hats.

Rule No.

A stylized graphic with a cowboy riding a horse across a sunlit field, overlaid with a large translucent gray number 22.

In addition to operating on a portion of the storied XIT Ranch, we also continue with those ethical standards. The XIT Ranch had 23 rules. Rule number 22 stated that the aim of the ranch was sterling honesty and integrity, which is at the core of how we respect and protect the natural resources on our ranch and the cattle and crops we grow and raise.