the modern farm...

The Johnston family farm sits on the western edge of the Swan Mountains, just north of Creston, Montana.  Creston has always fascinated me, mostly because one enters it from a 70-mile-per-hour highway that slices north though the lush fields of the Flathead valley.  As you approach Creston, the speed limit drops to 45 – but it’s such a physically small community, you can see the  sign returning you to 70mph at the other end before you’ve slowed.   If you google Creston, you’ll find it described as Class 6,  “Populated Place”.   It did have a post office for a bit, starting in 1894 but by 1956 – well, it was just a populated place.  But while Creston isn’t a sprawling metropolis (and that wasn’t easy to write without a giggle), it is a spectacularly beautiful place and its inhabitants somewhat remarkable.

Scott Johnston moved to Creston in 1986 according to their website, working at various jobs until his passion for radio got the best of him and in 2004 he erected a 78 foot antenna to begin broadcasting his own low-power radio station from his farmhouse’s front porch.  Today, the Montana Radio Cafe can be found both on the radio dial and on the internet, playing an eclectic mix of blues intersperced with Scott’s occasional thank you messages to the local community that keeps him on the air.  And if you are lucky enough to find yourself on Route 35 in Creston, look for the yellow farmhouse with the OnAir sign just north of Creston and give the Johnstons a wave as you pass.  Scott may find himself happy to be doing what he loves, but his work makes the interest and the Flathead Valley a richer place for all of us, and we’re thrilled to quietly support him in his efforts today.