August 24, 2012
A companion to our WMMT report, this video visits Terry Creech and his orchard atop Black Mountain, Kentucky’s highest peak at 4,100 ft. Creech is a rare breed, a second generation commercial apple grower in Harlan Conty, KY. In the fall Jeremy Williams, Harlan County Extension Agent, and Mitch Whitaker from the Letcher County Office led a tour to this orchard which has a climate similar to New York and Pennsylvania. Many growers said Creech would never succeed up here but he has developed a popular Honey Crsip strand that he sells at regional groceries. A former coal miner, Creech says apple growing is demanding work but he loves seeing the sky above his head every day.