Ann Danielson expects a steady stream of visitors this summer to her alpaca ranch southeast of Longmont. The ranch is one of about 120 small businesses in Colorado that open their property overnight to RV campers in exchange for a little patronage.
This will be the third summer that Danielson, co-owner of Annie’s Alpaca Ranch, has participated in the program of Harvest Hosts, a Colorado-based company that coordinates with businesses across the country and lists more than 5,000 sites as potential stopovers. Campers pay Harvest Hosts an annual membership fee and agree to purchase something or contribute in some way to wineries, breweries, farms, roadside attractions, and other places that provide space for travelers.
Danielson sells products made from alpaca fiber in a small store next to his ranch home.
A colorful Alpaca stuffed toy is available inside the store at Annie’s Alpaca Ranch in Longmont, Colorado, on June 4, 2024. Alpaca Farm also allows campers and those with RVs to camp overnight and learn more about the ranch animals. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
“In my first year I didn’t have that many people. I had a lot last year and it’s starting to get a lot this year,” Danielson said. “If I wanted to, I could probably have someone almost every day.”
Danielson uses an app to let people know when she is willing to host campers and to keep in touch with guests about their arrival time, the type of vehicle they drive and information about themselves.
Harvest Hosts has grown as more people hit the road. RV travel gained popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many avoided air travel and staying in hotels. More than 11 million households own recreational vehicles, up 62% from 2001, according to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association website.
Post-pandemic, higher interest rates have put a damper on the industry, and sales have fallen significantly since 2021 but remain above pre-pandemic levels, KeynoteUSA reported. The RV Industry Association said the average age of a first-time buyer dropped to 32 years old in 2022, down from 41 years old in 2020.
Harvest Hosts owner Joel Holland is part of the younger demographic discovering RV life. Now 39, he and his wife left the Washington, D.C., area when he was 30 and traveled the country in an RV for two years.
“I had started a video technology company and was completely burned out. He was sick and tired of cubicles, concrete jungles and driving to work in traffic,” Holland said. “My wife and I didn’t have children yet. We impulsively bought a motor home and hit the road. The idea was, ‘Let’s take the big American road trip until we’re tired.’”
The couple loved the “proverbial wind in their hair, the freedom of the road,” but they didn’t always enjoy camping. “You are parked 5 feet away from another RV. The camps are nothing special,” Holland said.
Other campers told Holland about Harvest Hosts, then a family business in Arizona. After settling in Vail, Holland offered to buy the company. He invested heavily in technology to grow the network of sites from around 600 to a few thousand. Most of his 20 employees are in Colorado.
Annual camper memberships range from $84 to $143. The higher level comes with access to more sites. Hosts pay nothing. The company said it conducts background checks on hosts.
Campers are not charged fees, but are encouraged to frequent the hosts’ stores, restaurants, or wineries. Holland said businesses report an average of $13,000 in additional annual revenue from overnight guests.
Treat it like your grandmother’s property.
One of Harvest Hosts’ codes of conduct is to treat the sites “like they were your grandmother’s property,” Holland said.
“And number 2 is to support the business you visit,” Holland said. “These places let you stay for free. Otherwise, you would be paying a lot of money.”
Harvest Hosts checks with companies to keep track of how things are going. Valley View Christian Church’s experience in Douglas County has been positive, said Senior Pastor Phillip Holland.
“Harvest Hosts contacted us a few years ago looking for a location. It seemed like something that could be a benefit to our community and to those who travel,” Holland said. “It’s not easy to book places to put your caravan and RV and it’s incredibly expensive.”
People who stay at the property, which is south of Highlands Ranch, often make donations to the church. If they are present on a Sunday morning, they usually attend the service.
“We are very blessed with the property and facilities we have at our disposal,” Holland said. “From a monetary point of view, it doesn’t change the situation for us, but it does increase awareness of our ministry and for me that is a great thing.”
Campers must have autonomous vehicles. Hosts do not provide hookups or other services. Stays are designed to be for one night only.
A blog published by Cruise America, which rents and sells RVs, said a Harvest Hosts membership can pay for itself quickly, considering campgrounds typically charge $30 or more per night. There are a variety of sites “away from the hustle and bustle of traditional campsites.”
However, the blog warns that campers cannot show up at a Harvest Hosts location without notice. And campsite surfaces can vary: from concrete to asphalt, gravel, dirt or grass.
The site at Annie’s Alpaca Ranch is a mix of gravel and grass near Danielson’s house and the animal pens. She lets people know that her driveway can’t handle some of the larger platforms.
Two alpacas look out on the farm belonging to Annie Danielson, owner of Annie’s Alpaca Ranch in Longmont, Colorado, on June 4, 2024. Alpaca Farm also allows campers and those with RVs to camp overnight and learn more about the animals of the ranch. RVing became popular during the pandemic and remains one of the most popular hobbies. Harvest Hosts is a Vail-based company that coordinates with local businesses willing to host overnight campers. Campers must be able to take care of all their needs: water, bathrooms. Campers are encouraged to patronize businesses in exchange for overnight parking. Harvest Hosts estimates that most campers spend around $50 per stay. Harvest Hosts coordinates with local businesses willing to provide overnight parking for RV travelers. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson/The Denver Post)
Many of Danielson’s guests like to socialize with the alpacas. Some will feed the animals grain pellets she scoops out. Alpacas know that trucks or RVs pulling up mean there are treats in the store.
Danielson grew up on a cattle farm north of Ames, Iowa. He moved to the Denver area to work at an accounting firm, which closed in 2000. After visiting an alpaca farm and learning more about them, Danielson said the animals They “caused” it.
Danielson bought his first alpaca, which is smaller than a llama, in the summer of 2004 and purchased the property near Longmont in December of that year. The herd has grown to 21 alpacas and two llamas, which protect from predators. She sells some of the fiber to a small factory in Utah and to individuals and takes some of the animals to shows while she continues doing accounting work.
Based on her experience, Danielson said she would recommend the hostess position to people who like to socialize. “I enjoy talking to people and learning the story of where they’ve been and where they’re going.”
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