Farmshoring in Virginia: Domestic Outsourcing Strategies for Linking Urban and Rural Economies in Virginia

Outsourcing is a hotly debated topic. Farmshoring in Virginia finds firms not just looking overseas, but to low-cost communities in rural areas in the United States. Opportunities in domestic outsourcing or farmshoring are driven by needs like lower costs, data security, skilled and stable labor forces, and geographic constraints. Firms are building the business case for “going to the farm,” moving different types of work to diverse rural areas. Examining the potential for farmshoring in diverse urban and rural areas in the Commonwealth of Virginia, we conclude that rural communities will benefit from job creation and new investment. At the same time, jurisdictions currently hosting businesses interested in outsourcing can find a silver lining in farmshoring as efficiencies gained through farmshoring within the same state strengthen firm ties to both locations.