Here’s a far-out, Digital-Age concept -- even if George Orwell came up with some version of it decades ago: The United States Department of Agriculture has been working on a little-known program called the National Animal Identification System, developed in cahoots with agribusiness trade groups representing the likes of Monsanto and Cargill. It encourages all animal owners and livestock handlers to attach 15-digit numeric codes embedded in microchips and other tags to their furry friends so that they can be monitoried throughout their lives by a central computerized nework.