The Ranch
Experience

The Latigo Ranch Experience transforms the company's headquarters property into a powerful brand-building asset. By hosting wholesale accounts, key retail partners, and select VIP customers for immersive overnight ranch experiences, Latigo deepens relationships, differentiates the brand, and creates content opportunities that no competitor can replicate.

This program leverages what makes Latigo unique: authentic ranch culture, real working-ranch credentials, and a brand story rooted in genuine cowboy heritage—not Hollywood cosplay. The Ranch Experience positions Latigo as more than an apparel company; it becomes a lifestyle brand with a physical home.

Every Ranch Experience visit includes two core programming tracks: a Weekender Cabin Build Program where men construct self-contained stick-built guest cabins (complete with private bathrooms, wood stoves, and queen beds), and a Homestead Skills Program where women learn heritage skills like harvesting, canning, preserving, and bread-making. These tracks are not optional—they are the backbone of every visit. For Couples Experiences, an optional Barn Dance evening in the on-site barn adds a signature social celebration with country two-step and line dancing.

Mission

Give wholesale partners, key accounts, and select customers a taste of the authentic Western lifestyle that Latigo represents—building loyalty, deepening brand connection, and generating organic content that money can't buy.

Core Programming (Every Visit)

The cabin build and homestead skills tracks are not optional add-ons—they are the backbone of every Ranch Experience visit. Every guest who comes to The Ranch participates in building and learning. This is what separates Latigo from every other brand in the space.

Experience Formats

Optional Add-On: Barn Dance (Couples Only)

Country two-step and line dancing in the on-site barn with either a live musician/caller or a curated country playlist. A special addition that works best with the right group or when you want to make a visit unforgettable.

Who Gets Invited

What Makes This Different

This is not a corporate retreat or a staged photo op. Every guest builds. Every guest learns. Guests leave understanding why Latigo is authentic—because they've lived it. The men have framed walls and run plumbing. The women have harvested vegetables and filled jars. And when the barn doors open for a dance, it all comes together the way it always has on a ranch—with music, movement, and community.

This itinerary applies to every visit. The cabin build and homestead skills tracks are always on the agenda.

Day 1 — Arrival & Ranch Immersion

Day 2 — Morning & Departure

The Couples Experience follows the same core itinerary—because the cabin build and homestead skills happen every visit. What makes it special is the shared dynamic between partners and the option to add a Barn Dance evening.

Why Couples Changes Everything

• Two people talking about Latigo at home instead of one
• Two social media accounts posting content
• Stronger emotional anchor—shared experiences bond couples to brands
• Women's track directly supports the Latigo women's line
• Men's track builds infrastructure that scales the program
• The barn dance creates a peak shared moment couples talk about for years
• Content hits both demographics simultaneously

Couples Day 1 — With Barn Dance Option

Standard itinerary through the campfire cookout. The barn dance replaces or follows the campfire session:

Day 2 follows the standard itinerary: morning tracks, breakfast, optional business session, departure.

Optional evening event for Couples Experiences. Not every visit needs one—use it strategically when you want to elevate a visit into something truly memorable.

Why It Works

Dancing is how ranch communities have always celebrated. After a day of building and homesteading, a barn dance brings everyone together in the most natural way possible. Couples learn steps, laugh at mistakes, and create a shared memory no boardroom could match. It's also some of the best content you'll ever capture.

Format

Country two-step and line dancing. 1.5–2 hours, typically 8:00–9:30 or 10:00 PM. Accessible for beginners. Half the fun is learning.

Music Options

• Live Musician / Caller — Takes it to another level. Worth booking for larger groups, VIP visits, or maximum impact. A caller teaches basics and leads line dances.
• Curated Playlist — Works perfectly for smaller or casual visits. George Strait, Chris Stapleton, Midland, Turnpike Troubadours. Keep it authentic.

Barn Setup

• Dance floor cleared in center (minimum 20' x 20')
• String lights or lanterns—warm lighting, not bright
• Hay bales around perimeter for seating
• Drinks station: cooler with beer, water, lemonade
• Speaker setup or space for live musician
• Subtle Latigo branding for photo backdrop

Flow of the Evening

When to Add the Barn Dance

• High-value visits — Closing a wholesale prospect or rewarding a key account
• Larger groups — Hosting 2+ couples where group energy makes it shine
• VIP experiences — Top DTC customers or brand ambassadors
• Special occasions — Holidays, seasonal events, or product launches
• Content-focused visits — When a photographer/videographer is capturing the visit

For intimate single-couple visits, the campfire session may be a better fit. Read the guest and the situation.

The cabin build is a core component of every Ranch Experience visit. Men build self-contained guest cabins ("Weekenders") on the property under Dave's guidance. Each visit advances the build. Over time, completed cabins expand hosting capacity, creating a self-reinforcing growth loop.

The Growth Loop

Weekender Cabin Specifications

Each Weekender is a self-contained, stick-built guest cabin. Real construction, real comfort, real pride of ownership for the builders.

Build Session Structure

Each session runs 2–3 hours. Dave leads and teaches. Goal: productive progress and genuine building experience.

Skill levels will vary and that's fine. The point isn't master carpenters—it's building something real with your hands. Dave adjusts assignments to the person.

Naming the Cabins

Each completed Weekender gets named after the couples who built it. A branded plaque acknowledges the builders—creating permanent legacy and a reason to come back and show others "their" cabin.

Materials & Cost

Materials are capitalized and depreciated as property improvements. A self-contained stick-built Weekender with private bathroom and wood stove runs approximately $8,000–$15,000 in materials depending on finishes and plumbing complexity. Guest labor keeps this extraordinarily cost-effective for the infrastructure you're gaining.

A core component of every Ranch Experience visit. Heritage ranch skills—harvesting, canning, preserving, bread-making—taught in an authentic setting no other brand can offer.

Why This Matters for Latigo

• Directly supports the Latigo women's line
• Taps into the exploding homesteading content space on social media
• Produces irresistible content: real women, real skills, real ranch
• Creates tangible takeaways that extend the experience for months
• Positions Latigo as a lifestyle brand beyond apparel

Seasonal Skills Menu

Session Structure

Hour 1: Harvest

Start in the garden. Learn what's ready, how to pick properly, why timing matters. Gathering the actual ingredients they'll use.

Hour 2: Prepare & Preserve

HQ kitchen. Wash, cut, prep. Learn canning, pickling, jamming, or drying. Guests do the work.

Hour 3: Bread & Baking

Sourdough, ranch biscuits, Dutch oven bread. What they bake becomes dinner or breakfast.

Branded Takeaways

• Jar Labels — "Made at Latigo Ranch" labels for jars. Kitchen shelves and Instagram for months.
• Recipe Cards — Branded recipe cards guests share with friends.
• Starter Kits — Sourdough starter in a branded jar. They think of Latigo every time they bake.

Ranch House (Latigo HQ)

• Office Area — Primary workspace, product development, business operations
• Kitchen — Homestead skills station, meal prep, client hospitality
• Bedroom — Primary guest lodging until cabins expand capacity
• Bathroom/Shower — Guest amenity

The Barn

• Dance Floor — Center cleared for dancing (min 20' x 20')
• Lighting — String lights/lanterns for atmosphere
• Seating — Hay bales for resting between dances
• Sound — Portable speakers or live musician space
• Drinks — Cooler station near entrance
• Backdrop — Subtle Latigo branding for photos

Outdoor Areas

• Campfire Area — Evening gathering, cooking, relationship building
• Garden & Orchard — Homestead programming and farm-to-table cooking
• Ranch Operations — Working ranch environment
• Build Sites — Weekender construction zones

Weekender Cabins (As Completed)

Each cabin adds one couple's worth of self-contained capacity. Private bathroom, wood stove, queen bed—guests are comfortable and independent.

Every visit produces content across every audience—because the build and homestead tracks run every time. A barn dance multiplies the output.

Cabin Build Content

• Men working with real tools—framing, plumbing, installing wood stoves
• Before/after cabin progress shots
• Teaching moments and finished cabin reveals
• Plaque ceremony when a cabin is named

Homestead Content

• Women harvesting in the garden
• Kitchen scenes: canning, jarring, bread-making
• Finished products: rows of jars, fresh bread
• Takeaway shot: guests holding branded jars

Barn Dance Content

• Barn lit up with string lights—atmosphere shots
• Couples learning two-step—laughter and stumbles are gold
• Line dancing group energy
• Detail shots: boots on floor, hay bales, lanterns
• Last dance moment—slow song, couples swaying

Content Rules

• Written permission before photographing/filming
• Never stage anything
• Raw and authentic beats polished
• Moments, not poses
• Guests are participants, not subjects

Wholesale Relationships

A feed store owner who's framed walls on your ranch and whose wife canned salsa in your kitchen doesn't just stock your shirts—he champions your brand. Add a barn dance and you've created loyalty no trade show can match.

Brand Differentiation

No other Western apparel brand offers this. Not the builds, not the homesteading, not the barn dance. This is category-defining.

Self-Funding Growth

Guest labor + your materials = expanded capacity. Each cabin enables more guests, better barn dances, better content. The program builds its own future.

Women's Line Pipeline

Women who've had the ranch experience become customers and ambassadors for Latigo's women's line. Their content is exactly what the audience responds to.

Content ROI

Every visit produces weeks of content across every audience. Hosting cost is a fraction of equivalent production.

Lifetime Value

Couples who attend become evangelists. They've built on your property, have Latigo jars in their kitchen, danced in your barn. They don't just buy—they recruit.

Expense Categories

Guest Visit Log Template

One Week Before

• Confirm guests, arrival time, dietary restrictions
• Plan menu (campfire dinner + breakfast with seasonal harvest)
• Grocery list prepared
• Check bedroom/bathroom supplies
• Prepare gift packs
• Check campfire area (firewood, seating, gear)
• Review cabin build status—plan this visit's tasks
• Stage tools and materials at build site
• Confirm garden harvest availability
• Stock canning supplies
• If barn dance: book musician or prepare playlist
• If barn dance: check barn (floor, lights, hay bales)
• If barn dance: stock barn drinks
• Review business materials needed
• Charge camera/phone
• Print permission/waiver forms

Day of Arrival

• Final clean of HQ
• Set out guest amenities
• Prep ingredients
• Stock cooler
• Set up campfire area
• Lay out tools at build site
• Set up homestead station in kitchen
• If barn dance: final barn prep
• Forms ready
• Silence phone—be present

After Departure

• Complete guest visit log
• File receipts with date, names, purpose
• Log cabin progress with photos
• Sort and edit content
• Thank-you message within 24 hours
• Schedule follow-up actions
• Post content (with permission)
• Update CRM/wholesale records
• Restock supplies
• If barn dance: reset barn

The full program requires comprehensive coverage. Address before first visit.

• Business liability for property covering hosted guests
• Construction coverage (power tools, ladders, framing, plumbing)
• Kitchen/food preparation coverage
• Event coverage including dancing (slips, falls, alcohol)
• General ranch liability (livestock, outdoor cooking)
• Comprehensive guest waiver covering all activities
• Property coverage for HQ, barn, cabins, contents
• Consider umbrella policy

Not optional. Guests use power tools, climb ladders, run plumbing, work with hot canning equipment, dance on a barn floor, and interact with livestock. Bring this document to your insurance agent.

Ranch House: dedicated business property, not personal residence. Barn: business asset.

• HQ and barn repairs/maintenance: 100% deductible
• Office furniture/equipment: Section 179 or depreciate
• Client meals and barn dance beverages: 50% deductible
• Musician/entertainment fees: consult CPA on current rules
• Barn improvements: deductible or depreciable—consult CPA
• Cabin materials (lumber, plumbing, wood stoves): capitalize and depreciate
• Build program tools: deductible business equipment
• Garden/canning/homestead supplies: deductible
• Gift packs and branded items: deductible marketing
• Maintain separation between ranch agricultural and Latigo expenses

Bring this document, visit logs, build documentation, and categorized receipts to your CPA.