AMELIA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A groundbreaking ceremony was held for a renewable natural gas facility at a dairy farm near Amelia Court House on Wednesday. Vanguard Renewables held a groundbreaking for its newest renewable gas project at The Moyer Family's Oakmulgee Dairy Farm, located at 15900 Giles Rd., on Wednesday, Oct. 23. According to a spokesperson for Vanguard Renewables, the farm -- owned by fourth-generation dairyman Larkin Moyer, along with his sons Brandon and Jeremy -- is the oldest continuously operating family dairy in the Commonwealth. Jeremy Moyer said the project is a methane digester that will combine food waste that would be going to a landfill with cow manure to produce renewable natural gas, as well as organic fertilizer after it creates the gas. "This is a good thing because it's taking food waste out of landfills," Moyer said. "It's reducing the methane that would be coming off of our manure. Instead, that methane will all be captured, and then that is creating energy that can be used for heat just like any other natural gas." The groundbreaking ceremony held for a renewable gas facility at Oakmulgee Dairy Farm in Amelia Court House on Wednesday, Oct. 23. (Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News)(Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News)(Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News)(Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News)(Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News)(Photo courtesy: Paul Nevadomski, 8News) According to the Vanguard Renewables spokesperson, the digester at Oakmulgee Dairy Farm will divert more than 105,000 tons of food and beverage waste from landfill or incineration yearly. Moyer said the energy will be used mostly by AstraZeneca's biopharmaceutical production facilities in Maryland. Neil Smith, CEO of Vanguard Renewables, said the plant is leading the company's effort to repurpose methane for good. "We are thrilled to partner with the Moyer Family who are truly building the farm of the future, to bring this transformative technology to life,” Smith said. “By converting inedible and unsalable food and beverage waste and dairy cow manure into renewable gas, we are not only reducing greenhouse gas emissions and repurposing methane for good, but also creating a sustainable energy source that benefits both the environment and local communities."  According to the spokesperson, the company is an operator of organics-to-renewable natural gas facilities in the United States. The company is expanding across the U.S. and currently has seven operational facilities and three under construction. It plans to begin construction on several other sites by the end of 2024.