DALLAS — Joel Holland discovered Harvest Hosts when he and his wife were RVing across the country and parked overnight at an alpaca farm in the central plains.
The farm run by the Dominican Sisters of Peace is part of a subscription program that caters to RVers by letting them park at participating businesses. Travelers don’t pay to park but are encouraged to patronize the business.
Holland thought the idea was so unique that he bought Harvest Hosts in 2018.
“It’s kind of your classic ‘I love it so much, I bought it’ story,” Holland said.
Today, there are over 400 Harvest Hosts locations in Texas, with 60 in the Dallas area. Nationwide, host sites total over 4,360.
Texas is one of the top states for RV sales, according to RV Industry Association. The group says over 493,000 recreational vehicles were shipped nationwide last year and nearly 67 million American leisure travelers are planning RV trips this year.
Harvest Hosts is an alternative to rest stops or Walmart parking lots. The Vail, Colo.-based company believes there’s a better way to do one-night stays.
“That’s why we say choose a winery over a Walmart or choose Rosé over a rest stop,” Holland said.
Harvest Hosts’ founders, Don and Kim Greene, were inspired by agritourism RV networks in Europe. In 2010, the couple brought the concept of staying overnight at farms and wineries to the United States.
After buying the company, the Hollands brought in an engineering team to turn the directory-like service into a booking app. Today, users can stay at wineries, farms, museums, churches, golf courses, breweries and distilleries.
Subscriptions cost users $99 to $179 annually, depending on whether RVers want golf course privileges or other amenities.
Small and local businesses benefit from new customers when travelers stay on their property. Krootz Brewing Co. in Gainesville has appreciated the “good business” the service has brought them.
“They get a free place to stay and they usually skew higher on the spend,” said CEO Chad Sykora.
Full-time RV traveling couple John and Donna Scarborough, known to Instagram followers as the Coddiwomple Travelers, use Harvest Hosts to connect with communities they visit. Recently, they stayed at a brewery in Fort Stockton.
“The next time we’re in the area we’ll definitely be back there and because we Harvest Hosted there, it will cause us to come back and spend money in the area,” said John.
Holland is most proud of the $40 million that RVers spent at host locations in 2022. Because travelers do not pay to stay at these locations, their spending is what helps small and local businesses.
Harvest Hosts expects its revenue to top $30 million this year. Its growing network of hosts should exceed 10,000 by the end of 2023.
Chris and Martha Peters, known as Venturesome Couple, found Harvest Hosts while researching where to stay online. The couple has been living and working from their RV for 15 years.
While traveling in Alaska, the Peters enjoy going off the beaten path. They said Harvest Hosts offers them unique experiences that differ from traditional rest stops.
“What I think we both like is the diversity of the locations that allow us to camp. So we’ve stayed everywhere,” Chris Peters said.
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