Really, the very best information you can get about growing any kind of fruit tree in your area will be through your county cooperative extension office. This is what they specialize in. They will be able to tell you the varieties best suited to your locale, the most disease resistant and the best pollinators. And also offer planting suggestions, possible sources and whatever preventative maintenance is deemed necessary. They will typically offer pruning classes as well.

Locate your county extension office HERE.

I've had 14 years of small-scale, fumbling experience growing apples in zone 7 NC, which is probably somewhat similar to Kentucky. Based on my own experience, I've found golden delicious to be as good or better a low input organic apple variety as Goldrush or Enterprise. Golden delicious has shown quite a bit of cedar apple rust effect on the leaves, but my tree produces mostly pretty usable apples anyway. I let mu Gold Rush produce too young and it kind of runted out, so I don't know how much that has affected fruit quality, but as it is most of the apples I've gotten have had too many flaws to hardly be usable at all. Enterprise is the only apple (of about 10-12 varieties I've grown) that has come close to dying from fireblight, but it did recover. Enterprise apples also seem worse than average for rot issues. The very best apple I've grown for ease of growing and also a very good tasting apple is Pristine. That would be my top recommendation. Williams Pride looks pretty good for ease of growing so far, but I've only fruited it for a couple years so far.

Errr... my experience with the local UofKY Extension folks (and I've worked closely with them for 20+ years) is that they won't likely know much about fruit varieties or production - but they can refer you to the university fruit specialists. Now, if you had a question about tobacco or row-crop production... they're on it.

I went ape**** on planting apples early on - had 60 varieties at one time. Have abandoned all but a handful... I don't have time or inclination to spray...and without that, insect damage makes most later-ripening varieties worthless to me. Really late varieties, like ArkBlack... never make it to ripening... the big European hornets eat them all up long before any semblance of ripeness.

In my experience, insect pest damage is much bigger issue than 'disease' resistance (scab, CAR, etc.). You'll need to consider IPM and a spray schedule or dedicate yourself to bagging fruit early on.

Pears, persimmons, blueberries, mulberries are good no-spray candidates.

MonArk, hands-down, is my favorite early-season apple; ripens here (Christian Co.) in early to mid-July, big firm crisp apple that keeps well (up to 6 wks in the fridge) for an early-season apple, good for fresh eating, cooking, drying; has good disease resistance. Lodi is another early one we grow here, but it's inferior to its Yellow Transparent parent in every way except size... but with Lodi or YT... there's about a 15 minute window where they are good... then they go soft and mealy.

Edible crabs, like Centennial, Kerr, Bastian's Orange, etc. have made the grade to be enjoyed, and stay here.

I have GoldRush. It's a Cedar-Apple rust magnet; looks like a canary most years - but, from everything I've heard/read from seasoned growers in this area, it's a must-have. In nearly 20 years, I don't know that I've ever been able to beat the deer to a GR fruit, as it's on the other side of the farm pond from the house and the larger remnants of the orchard.

Once again... consider pears, persimmons, blueberries, mulberries, etc. as at least an adjunct to the apples.

Thanks for the comments, everyone! Much appreciated.

lpittman, any recommendation on pear variety in KY?

Keiffer is a must-have, IMO. Many folks denigrate it as barely edible, but it'll take a fireblight licking and keep on ticking. Having grown up in south AL... it was present on all farmsteads, and is what I expect a pear to be - firm, juicy, tasty, and gritty. I have no love for the soft, dessert/'butter' pears.

Most of the EuroXsand pear hybrids, like Orient, Pineapple, Dabney, etc. will do well for you. Tennosui would be worth pursuing.

Best Asians for me have been Chojuro, Shinko, Ya Li. Niitaka. Hosui has done well for me - but UofKY fruit specialists will warn you away from it. Most folks rave about Korean Giant, but it was a dog here - shy bearing, flavorless, and a fireblight cripple.

I think (I may even be a member) that there's a Southern Pear Facebook group.