Harvesting and hosting
In contrast to Hipcamp , Harvest Hosts aims at the RV , tow-behind trailer , and camper-van crowd . It specifically excludes tent camping . A $ 99 annual fee gets you access to a network of 1,885 wineries , breweries , distilleries , farms , and other tourist sites that offer some 5,200 RV sites in the U . S . and Canada . Hosts are not required to provide hook-ups , bathing , bathroom or cooking facilities .
A search of Harvest Host offerings in the Ag Reserve , however , yields mostly sites in eastern Virginia and southern Pennsylvania . Just a few are close to the Ag Reserve and , surprisingly only one was in the Reserve . The proprietor of that site , which was in Dickerson , recently opted to remove her farm from the Harvest Host listings , though not for any reason having to do with Harvest Hosts . The dearth of Host sites in the Ag Reserve could change with the advent of the new campground ordinance . Ag Reserve farmers in- terested in creating campgrounds that includes space for RVs would be well advised to become Harvest Hosts to attract visitors .
What about people who already have or allow RVs on their property ? The Council ’ s deliberations on the campground ordinance revealed that existing county rules allow most home and landowners to have an RV ( or more than one ) on their property . In fact , there are no restrictions in Montgomery County on RV parking on any property ( including farms ) that are two acres or more . The existence of this somewhat open-ended ordinance surprised some Councilmembers . While county officials said they were unaware of any abuse of the rule , they acknowledged that the county is not monitoring how extensive the practice may be of having one or more RVs on a property in which family members or others may be living , either short-term or long-term . The new campground ordinance is not at odds with this existing RV policy , county officials told me . That ’ s because it applies to “ commercial use ”— that is , the short-term rental of camping space to a visitor-owned RV or for a stay in a farmer-owned RV .
Public campgrounds and Airbnbs
Public campgrounds are sparse in the DC metro area , but grow in number beyond 15 or so miles from the city . The closest to the Ag Reserve is Little Bennett . It has 91 wooded sites ( tent and RV , with hook-ups ), three canvas tent sites , three cabins , and three yurts . Little Bennett has all the amenities of a public campground , including bathrooms and showers as well as playgrounds , hiking trails , and volleyball courts . Visitors to D . C . and down-county destinations make up the largest proportion of Little Bennett ’ s visitors . But more and more visitors are agritouristing in the upcounty area , according to county officials .
The supply of Airbnb and VRBO ( Vacation Rental by Owner )
Honey Acres Farm in Boyds is a family owned and operated horse farm .
20 plenty I autumn harvest 2024