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 commitment still guides everything we raise, everything we grow, and every product we produce.

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 the future.

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, all cattle, and the entire farming operation to certified organic.

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 shipping our beef nationwide with a simple goal: to produce a truly traceable organic product without sacrificing quality or consistency. From the ranch to the finished product, we wanted to have a hand in every step of the process.

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

With convenient protein on the rise and few truly organic options available, we set out to make the cleanest beef snack on the market.

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

Off and Running!

With amazing support from our customers, in our first year we added more than 4,000 stores across the country.

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.

Thank you for your support in making this possible! We’re so excited for everything to come and truly appreciate you being part of this journey.

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.