History:

Raymond and Loree Crotts set out their first apple trees in the late 1940s.  No matter where he worked at the time, Raymond had a passion for apples as he and Loree would ride around on Sundays looking at apple trees.  He brought his apple dreams to fruition after serving in World War II when he used his GI Bill benefits to pay for classes about farming.   In 1958 Raymond and Loree bought "the Knob" and began farming.  After a booming business with apples, they diversified their small business to include peaches in 1970.  The agriculture endeavors didn't stop, strawberries were added in 1993 and blackberries in the early 2000s.  The son of Raymond and Loree, Jeff, and his wife, Tara, now run this family operated business.  With the addition of a new fruit stand and a store that sales homemade ice cream in 1996 they have seen continued success.  As the Shelby Star states, "Knob Creek Orchards is now a landmark at the Cleveland-Lincoln county line."