History of Harvest Hosts
TL;DR: Harvest Hosts offers a unique RV camping experience across North America, supporting small businesses with no camping fees. With a yearly membership, access diverse locations like farms and wineries, fostering connections and offering a richer camping experience.
Welcome to Harvest Hosts, one of the most unique RV camping experiences in existence. If you already have a host location or membership with us, then we thank you for continuing this mutual partnership. If you are a brand new host, or have a brand new membership, or aren't even a member yet, then we'd like to tell you a little about who we are, what we do, and where we began.
Harvest Hosts Program
Harvest Hosts’ goal has always been to strive to provide something different than the average campground. This yearly membership service gains members access to camping locations across North America with no camping fees, while also supporting small businesses. You can choose to stay a night at any of our locations, from farms to wineries to museums, and even golf courses. After viewing the map of host locations on the app or website, you can read up on each location before deciding where to stay next. Each host profile gives a description about the business, along with a direct link to the business' actual website, how many reservable spots are available, and any other applicable information. After that, your next overnight destination is only a phone call away. For the cost of approximately two nights’ stay in a typical campground, you gain a years' worth of access to any Harvest Hosts location. The benefits of this not only make financial sense, but also create an increase of value for your camping experience. When staying at a Harvest Hosts location, you aren't "just another camper" or "pull-through lot #71". Your Host will know you by name upon arrival because you made a personal phone call to book them.Many Hosts are passionate about the work they do and are happy to chat with and educate their guests. Most locations allow pets, and many locations provide family activities, such as hayrides in the autumn season or U-pick at an apple orchard. You can also choose to take an intimate tour of a winery, stroll through museums and learn something new, or even sip craft beer while the sun sets. No matter what your tastes are, there's a Harvest Hosts location that will suit your interests.
Benefits to Hosts
After all of this, some may be curious of how the Hosts benefit from this program. After all, campers are camping on their property. The main benefit for Hosts is the mutual relationship or partnership that is formed between the Host and camper. In exchange for overnight accommodations with no camping fees, Harvest Hosts requests that you patronize the business with a small purchase, whether that be buying a bushel of apples, a few bottles of wine, or paying for a round of golf. Oftentimes, the connection that is formed from the initial reservation turns into a loyal lifelong customer or even a friendship.
Harvest Hosts' Beginnings
With such a unique and exciting program, you may be wondering where the concept initially began. The original founders and owners of Harvest Hosts, Don and Kim Greene, discovered the concept of agritourism RV networks in Europe, where campers could stay overnight at farms and wineries for the fee of patronizing the business. They were surprised to hear that the concept had not yet migrated to the United States, with its large camping population.
In 2010, the Greenes were the trailblazers for bringing this concept to the United States, pulling together the original Hosts, and making Harvest Hosts an annual membership program. They began with locations in Oregon, California, and Washington, and eventually grew their locations to just under 600 total. These included farms, wineries, museums and more all over the United States, as well as a few locations in Canada and Mexico.
Harvest Hosts Today
Joel Holland, long time RVer and technology entrepreneur, was absolutely delighted when he first discovered Harvest Hosts. Having access to unique overnight camping was a game-changer for him and his wife Mary Ashley. In 2018, he purchased Harvest Hosts from the Greenes with exponential growth on the horizon. His primary goal since ownership has been adding new locations and increasing the user-friendliness of the platform.
