A reputable breeder will have the ears cropped and posted before the puppy comes home.
If the puppy you're getting doesn't have it's ears cropped, I would be very careful. I'm in Lexington as well, and I've seen some atrocious crops. I would've recommended Sam Grant in Cincinnati, but he has retired. I honestly don't know of any other good croppers in the area. Hopefully someone else can chime in. I would leave them natural rather than run the risk of an ugly crop.
Hopefully I'll see ya around Lex sometime.