Farm Aid celebrated its 10th anniversary with a concert Sunday. It was a bittersweet occasion, however. Last week, the Senate Agricultural Committee approved $13.4 billion in spending cuts from farm programs over the next seven years. Congress now has the decision of changing farm policy largely in place since the Great Depression.

In observance of the somber note this weekend, Denise O’Brien of the National Family Farm Coalition put it, “… it’s a national disgrace to have Farm Aid. We shouldn’t be … doing this.”

The fact that charity is necessary to supplement slashed government monies is a sad state of affairs. Charity, while beneficial, shouldn’t have been made compulsive in order to keep alive such an important public venture — farming. It shouldn’t have to come to this.

Nonetheless, Farm Aid regrettably only generated ticket sales revenue of a mere $1.2 million. While the event will raise some additional income from donations, merchandising and sponsorships, it seems ridiculous that the concert would have to be held dozens of times to offset imminent government cutbacks.