Harvest Hosts Members Camp for Free at Agritourism Destinations
Hundreds of RVers Overnight At Host Locations- Mainly Farms, Breweries, Wineries- And Encouraged To Purchase Souvenirs From Each Visited Area
It’s an appealing idea for RVers… Drive up to a winery or a family run farm or a museum, and spend the night as a welcomed guest. No hookups, but lots of new people to meet, new experiences, new tastes, and no overnight fee.
This is just the experience that Harvest Hosts provides. For a small fee (under $50 year), members receive a listing of spots that welcome RVers to come spend the night and have a look around. Currently the program has over 587 host sites, with more joining the network every month.
“We’ve added 14 new hosts just this month,” Kim Greene says. With her husband Don, Kim founded Harvest Hosts back in 2010, after a couple of years of research. The Greenes got the idea while traveling by RV around France.
“There’s a similar program there, called France Passion,” Kim says. “They have over 2,000 hosts. And in Britain, there’s Brit Stops, with nearly 1,000 hosts, including a lot of local pubs. We decided we wanted to do something similar in the U.S.”
Despite Kim and Don’s background in online business, the project turned out to be “a whole lot more work than we ever expected.” Part of that work has been the result of the program’s exponential growth. “We’ve had a huge increase in membership last year and this year is following the pattern,” Kim says. “It’s tremendous.”
Carol Hinkle, owner of Rio Seco Winery in California, has been a host since the early days of the program. “I’ve been in since the beginning, six or seven years now,” she says. “Don and Kim came into my tasting room one day and explained their business plan. I told them it sounded fantastic. Count us in!”
Since then, hundreds of RVers have overnighted at her winery located on California’s Central Coast about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. “They come from all over,” she says. “We’ve had folks from Europe and Canada, and of course, the U.S.” Many of them are headed for nearby Hearst Castle.
In all that time, Carol says she has not met one person who is unhappy with Harvest Hosts. “People are excited. They love the program, and it’s just exploded. And it’s not just retirees… the new technology has made it possible for many people to work from wherever they are, so we are seeing more and more young families. The kids love our cats, dogs and chickens. It’s very beautiful here, and we’re dog-friendly. A lot of people come in asking, ‘Where’s George?’ He’s our cat, and sort of a celebrity on Facebook.”
Kim and Don try to meet as many of the hosts as possible, although they research likely businesses online. “We have a lot of wineries, breweries and distilleries who host,” Kim says. “But we also have a lot of family friendly spots, not alcohol based. Lots of farms and museums.” Among the more unusual hosts Kim mentions a gator ranch in Mississippi that offers boat tours through the swamp. “One spot has a fishing pond where you can catch your dinner, and have it cooked for you right there. And kids love the dinosaur museum in Utah.” Other hosts include cider mills, ice cream and cheese creameries, lavender and herb farms, cow and goat dairies, alpaca ranches, U-pick farms, wildlife rescue facilities and much more.
Last summer, the Greenes, based in Prescott, AZ, set out across country in their Lance truck camper. In three months, they visited 60 host sites. “We wanted to get out and shake their hands, and thank them personally for their generosity,” she explains. “We watched the solar eclipse at a host in Missouri, and made it all the way north to Newfoundland.”
Although there is no fee to camp, members are encouraged to explore all that hosts have to offer. “Enjoy a tasting, take a tour, shop for souvenirs... every stop has something interesting to offer,” Kim says. “It’s a nice way to say thank you to your host, plus you are helping out a small business and the local economy.”
The tech savvy Greenes base the Harvest Hosts experience online. “We started out with a website, where members could log in, get info on all the hosts, and map their route. Recently we’ve added apps for Android and Apple devices, free for members, so you can really get information on the go.” Membership cards can be printed out after registering online, and the list of hosts can be downloaded for easy offline access.
There are a few caveats. Members are asked to call hosts a day in advance, and to arrive during business hours. “We ask that they meet the host, and find out about their operation,” Kim says. “We encourage members to make a purchase.”
The most important qualification for a Harvest Hosts membership is that you have a fully self-contained RV, with on-board toilet, built-in grey and black water holding tanks and inside cooking facilities. Trailers and 5th wheels are ok, but tents, including pop-up tent trailers, cannot join.
Kim says that about 80 percent of hosts can accommodate any length rig. Most can host only three or four RVs per night. Stays of more than one night are not included.
With nearly 600 spots to explore spread across the Lower 48, Alaska, Canada and Baja California, the Harvest Hosts program presents a unique opportunity to explore the continent, meet interesting people and experience local products, all at a minimal price. It sure beats overnighting in the parking lot of a big box store or boondocking by the side of the road.
Renee Wright
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and camping.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Rio Seco Winery, a small family owned vineyard and winery, who consider themselves fortunate to be part of a "New World" of wine exploration. Their passion goes into creating an exceptional vineyard, using intensive growing practices resulting in richly handcrafted wines.