Despite pushback from environmentalists, some Democrats, Cooper signs farm bill into law Avi Bajpai, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.) Jul. 3—RALEIGH — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper signed several bills into law Friday, most notably, the state's annual Farm Act, which has stirred controversy due to a provision relating to the collection of methane gas that some have said could harm the environment. The North Carolina Farm Act of 2021, which quickly moved through the state House and Senate over the last two weeks, makes changes to a series of agricultural and forestry laws. It includes a number of agricultural reforms that top legislative Republicans have heralded as changes that will help farmers. Those reforms include a provision that bolsters the authority of local governments to establish and oversee voluntary agricultural districts, which help preserve and protect farmlands and provide farmers with public recognition of their land.