Anyone joined Harvest Hosts ?

I joined for one year but never used it. The issues I had were they require significant planning to use. Besides planning a route to get to a "host", one has to call ahead at least 24 hours to make arrangements, just like a reservation. It is possible that a "host" will not be able to accommodate a RVer, so then the route planning is lost. Also, they strongly suggest you make a purchase from the "host" which should be in the $10 to $20 range.

I can find plenty of boondocking spots without making a reservation! And without buying something, too. Whats the point?

I am currently a member and have been one for 4 years with 1 more year on my current 3 year membership.
Although I didn't use it this year hopefully I will next year.
The prettiest place we ever spent the night and we spent 3 nights there was on a farm in Wolfville, Nova Scotia that overlooked the Bay of Fundy.
We have used Harvest Host's approximately 10 times. We have always purchased something from the host.
I have used Harvest Host's in 3 States and 3 Canadian Providences.
If I had been aware of it when I made my trip to the West Coast 5 years ago I would have stayed at a lot more places.

I can certainly understand why the organization and partnering businesses would require a registration and then a call ahead for a "reservation." Just looking at the map on their web site for Indiana alone, I'm familiar with the locations of some of these sites. Yes, it's kind of a hidden secret, but this prevents just anyone from pulling into an open field and spending the night, and then hitting the road in the morning.

Consider if it was your property? You wouldn't just want anyone dropping in, squatting for the night, and then moving on. By requiring "membership" the owners of these companies and businesses are dealing truly interested visitors who want to experience part of the inner-workings of how the business or company operates.

Purchasing from them is a great courtesy and does help support their business. We visited a honey farm in Southern Indiana a few years ago and took our granddaughter. They provided overnighting for RV's, but it was basically just a couple spots in their graveled parking lot. Still, it was a nice offer. We took the entire tour, my granddaughter got to make real bees wax candles, and I think we walked out with about 3 jars on different flavors of honey. We did not spend the night. The folks were extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and it was really a very fun day. Purchasing something from them was a real joy, not a pain in the pocketbook at all.

Years ago, I tried to persuade my in-laws, who were heavily into farming with the multi million dollar tractors and combines, and farmed about a thousand acres of field, to start a business called, "Farmer Dude". They had the property to set up an area for campers to park. We parked ours there during the harvest season and would help out. I drove the trucks from the field to the elevator. The life-style was great! Hard work, yes, but so very much fun at the same time. I tried to persuade them to do "Farmer Dude" ... set it up like a "Dude Ranch", except having a bunkhouse, folks would stay in their own RV's. Unfortunately, they never bought into my idea.

I think Harvest Host is a great idea. The actual organization of "Harvest Host" happened long after I came up with the idea of "Farmer Dude."

My father-in-law is now gone, my mother-in-law has sold off all the property except 4 acres around the house. His brother has continued the farming, but he's down sized quite a bit now. An opportunity lost forever.

For 1 year about 8 years ago. Never used it.

I really like the concept; we love to visit places like these when we travel. I thought the video was too winery centric for us. We like visiting farms, tradesmen, artists, etc as much as wineries.

But the execution of the vision is lacking, at least for us.

We rarely stay anywhere for one night. No electricity eliminates many folks. We are the Cpap and residential fridge crowd. I would rather pay $20-$30/nite and be able to stay a few nights.

Not being able to see the properties without joining is another barrier to joining.

But I’ll keep checking back.

DutchmenSport wrote:
I can certainly understand why the organization and partnering businesses would require a registration and then a call ahead for a "reservation." Just looking at the map on their web site for Indiana alone, I'm familiar with the locations of some of these sites. Yes, it's kind of a hidden secret, but this prevents just anyone from pulling into an open field and spending the night, and then hitting the road in the morning.

Consider if it was your property? You wouldn't just want anyone dropping in, squatting for the night, and then moving on. By requiring "membership" the owners of these companies and businesses are dealing truly interested visitors who want to experience part of the inner-workings of how the business or company operates.

Purchasing from them is a great courtesy and does help support their business. We visited a honey farm in Southern Indiana a few years ago and took our granddaughter. They provided overnighting for RV's, but it was basically just a couple spots in their graveled parking lot. Still, it was a nice offer. We took the entire tour, my granddaughter got to make real bees wax candles, and I think we walked out with about 3 jars on different flavors of honey. We did not spend the night. The folks were extremely friendly, knowledgeable, and it was really a very fun day. Purchasing something from them was a real joy, not a pain in the pocketbook at all.

Years ago, I tried to persuade my in-laws, who were heavily into farming with the multi million dollar tractors and combines, and farmed about a thousand acres of field, to start a business called, "Farmer Dude". They had the property to set up an area for campers to park. We parked ours there during the harvest season and would help out. I drove the trucks from the field to the elevator. The life-style was great! Hard work, yes, but so very much fun at the same time. I tried to persuade them to do "Farmer Dude" ... set it up like a "Dude Ranch", except having a bunkhouse, folks would stay in their own RV's. Unfortunately, they never bought into my idea.

I think Harvest Host is a great idea. The actual organization of "Harvest Host" happened long after I came up with the idea of "Farmer Dude."

My father-in-law is now gone, my mother-in-law has sold off all the property except 4 acres around the house. His brother has continued the farming, but he's down sized quite a bit now. An opportunity lost forever.

I think your in-laws made a decision to not hurt your feelings. The last thing a true farmer would want is people who have no idea what needs to be done and how to do it hanging around those multi-million dollar combines. A great way to add some animal protein to a load of soybeans is for a novice to have a wayward arm or leg. I've watched uncounted numbers of RVers drive their rigs and sure wouldn't want to risk a truckload of corn to their care. Amateur help is usually less than helpful.

We've been members for three or four years now. I found out about it before I even owned a TT, and was looking forward to joining as soon as we had an appropriate "self-contained" rig (a requirement for joining.)

We use it often, probably about 6 to 10 nights per year. We love it. We love that we get to see things that we wouldn't otherwise take the time to see. Usually the HH locations are a little off our route, if you just looked at origin-to-destination route-planning. But we've enjoyed getting off the highways a bit. The locations are almost always beautiful and "different." We've enjoyed meeting the people who own and operate the farms and wineries, when we've been able to meet them. When the owners aren't available, the staff is usually very friendly, but it's not as much fun for us as meeting the owners. After the facilities close in the evening it is usually very quiet and peaceful. However, farm life starts early in the morning, and you have to be prepared to hear farm equipment as soon as the sun comes up. Sometimes even earlier.

As far as the purchase is concerned, we tend to spend $20 to $30, which certainly doesn't equate to "free" camping. However, we get the night of camping PLUS whatever we spent the money on. Pretty good deal, as far as I'm concerned.

One of the rules is that you only spend ONE night at a location, unless the owner invites you to stay longer. That one-night rule is the only part I don't like. It means the normal use of HH is when you're on the road and you have an overnight (or overnights in different locations) along the way. It's not a great program for a camping destination.

As you can tell from what I'm saying, this isn't just boondocking. If you're just looking for boondocking, HH probably isn't for you.

-Speak

I didn’t state it firmly enough. We try to be gone all summer. No hurry.
We hardly ever do single nights. Hardly ever. And we are not alone.

I wouldn’t consider it on that basis alone.

We are members and stay an over night or 2 on every trip. I found that HH requires LESS planning than a private RV park. I've even called the day before to get a spot.

Just a warning: If you're expecting that staying at a host that is a winery will save you money, then don't join :)

Thanks for the replies

The map they show on their site shows they are everywhere (well one in Nevada).
But you have to join just to see their locations.
So is the map they show on their site misleading or ?

We're planning another trip to the East Coast for next year and depending where they are located could stay a few nights at some along the way.