Harvest Hosts provide RV campers nationwide with overnight parking and local experiences

As spring marches on, peak traveling season is approaching, usually between Labor Day in May and Memorial Day in September.

The Great American Road Trip is an idea that has been around since the early twentieth century as a way for people to step outside of their daily lives and explore the vast terrain of the United States. Road tripping provides new experiences, fresh faces and plenty of memories to look back on. It’s no wonder folks are eager to venture outside of their routines to see what the rest of the states have to offer.

For folks looking to take on their own iteration of the Great American Road Trip in a camper van or RV, planning where to stay overnight is a must. Average prices for overnight RV parking in Lane County parks can range from $20 to $30 a night, which can add up quickly.

Harvest Hosts utilizes a network of hosts across North America to help alleviate some of the headaches associated with overnight vehicle camping while traveling.

Who is Harvest Hosts and how does this model work?

The company started in 2010 as a connector between vehicle campers looking for overnight parking and local businesses with ample parking space and goods to sell.

Travelers can purchase a base-level Harvest Hosts membership for $99 a year, granting them access to over 5,000 host locations. Varying levels of membership allow access to additional locations like private properties and country clubs for mid- and top-tier members. Harvest Hosts has a total of over 9,200 participating hosts across all its membership levels ranging from farms, wineries, breweries and restaurants to drive-in movie theaters, museums and animal sanctuaries.

Once a membership is purchased, travelers can utilize the network of businesses to find suitable hosts. Travelers request a single-night stay from the host, who approves or denies the request based on their own schedule and needs. Before leaving after their stay, travelers are encouraged to purchase goods from their host. Spending about $30 worth of product is recommended.

This exchange means that travelers are guaranteed a place to park overnight, often ones with breathtaking views or novel experiences, and can support a small business while enjoying what they have to offer. Hosts allow overnight parking at no additional cost or effort to them, meet new people who otherwise may not have visited them and keep the revenue from sales accrued by travelers. Campers are expected to be in self-sustaining rigs, so hosts need not supply water or electricity hook-ups.

The model is one Wes Clark, chief operations officer, said is a “win-win-win” for travelers, hosts and the company. He said an enjoyable part of this particular model is Harvest Hosts’ ability to spotlight local businesses and give travelers insight into processes they may be far removed from.

“I feel like farming in particular is kind of a lost art in this modern world and so when folks are able to visit farms and see how their food is produced, see what kind of labor and hard work goes into that, they have a lot more appreciation for the agricultural world,” Clark said.

“I think farmers like to share that trait in particular and obviously other professions are like that, whether you’re making wine or beer or a museum which happens to be your passion project. We’re able to support the revenue side but we’re also able to support that passion for whatever type of business they’re running and the operation that they put in place.”

Harvest Hosts has 57 employees across two countries and Clark said he likes to say they’re a “small business that loves small businesses.” He said incremental sales from travelers provide the average host with an additional $12,000 to $15,000 annually.

“Since we were started back in 2010, we’ve put over $150 million back into small businesses’ pockets through these incremental sales,” Clark said.

“We’re on pace to drive another $50 million in incremental sales in 2024 so we’re really excited about that — it’s going to be our biggest year yet.”

Host hospitality and what participating businesses think

When traveling through Oregon, the lush landscape and forgiving climate are just as welcoming as the people are. Tucked away into a ridgeline hugged by rolling hills is Silvan Ridge Winery, Eugene’s first bonded winery and a Harvest Host spanning back about two or three years.

Angela Jaquette, Silvan Ridge Winery’s general manager, said the winery is likely most well-known for its expansive outdoor space. Visitors can enjoy the tasting room inside or sit outside and enjoy a grassy picnic or a Friday evening concert all summer, from June to September.

This sweeping space made Silvan Ridge Winery a likely candidate for hosting and Jaquette said travelers who book nights on their property get to uniquely enjoy the vineyards and idyllic scenery during their stay.

“We love sharing our space and we have plenty of it,” Jaquette said.

“It’s so quiet and peaceful out there and so for the people who are members, they’re just thrilled that they have this huge, expansive wine country property all to themselves because we only book one (traveler) a night.”

She said when people think of small businesses, the image of a little ‘mom and pop’ shop on a street corner is often what comes to mind. Silvan Ridge Winery, while residing on a scenic property, doesn’t necessarily align with that mental image, according to Jaquette. Despite this, she said the winery is absolutely a small business.

This partnership with Harvest Hosts is another way for the business to support itself while maintaining its focus on quality products. It also acts as a connector between Silvan Ridge Winery and travelers who otherwise may have never visited the business. Jaquette said the business was hesitant to start hosting, but that “we tried it and we love it,” because of the variety of people the partnership has brought into the winery.

“The reality is that we absolutely operate as a small business. We’re family-owned, we’ve been family-owned for a few decades and it’s hard,” Jaquette said.

“It’s just as hard for us to drive traffic to our location, to pay our bills to all of our suppliers and to make wines that we’re really proud of.”

May is both Small Business Month and Oregon Wine Month. Whether you’re finding hosts to stay overnight at or enjoying a locally cultivated and created beverage, there are a number of ways to support small businesses all month and every month.

“Our goal is to make their travels enjoyable and happy,” Clark said.

“At the end of the day, we sell happiness.”

Hannarose McGuinness is The Register-Guard’s growth and development reporter. Contact her at 541-844-9859 or hmcguinness@registerguard.com

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Thinking about road tripping? Support small businesses along the way.