The USDA is surveillance city. Twenty years ago I had a talk with a guy who used software i was selling at SCS (soil conservation services) who told me of their "war room" from which they monitored by satellite every major agricultural region in the world. They used this intelligence to intervene in the futures markets to encourage/discourage production, as seemed warranted. Probably all began with good intentions.
Maybe the mark of the beast comes from SCS ;). You know,"from the soil you came, to the soil you shall return" and all.