Leucaena Hatfield

Leucaena leucocephala, if you're prepared to prune.

My "food forest" (still not sure if I prefer that term) had it's first trees (jambolan plum and some citrus) planted 5 years ago. Just ate my first guamuchil and strawberry guava fruits last week.

The burgundy beans http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/Macroptilium_bracteatum.htm and butterfly pea http://www.tropicalforages.info/key/Forages/Media/Html/Clitoria_ternatea.htm have impressed me by being a legume that has thrived under neglect during drought and flooding, reseeded naturally, is very palatable to livestock, can smother weeds (and trees if you let it!), and has nice flowers. The butterfly pea is also edible though I haven't tried it yet. I plan to plant 1/8 acre of it or so as a soil improver/high protein creep graze for lambs soon. I understand it is often used as the first step to restore old cropped land in many places.

I've got a food forest in Zone 9a over here in Texas. I'm always glad to find info from my zone. We share many of the plants on your list.

How deep is the water table at your place? Mine is usually 4-5' deep, but floods to the surface during very heavy rainfall about once every year or two. I've found that waterlogging and the salinity (probably not a problem for you in FL) are probably the biggest factors to manage for tree and vegetable production here.

Have you ever grown burgundy beans, butterfly pea, or leucaenas? These all do well for me, though handling the branches/pruning of the leucaena trees is getting a little old. I've been making brushpiles for insect habitat, but as the piles grow I think I might start making brush-windrows for windbreaks. Then get the burgundy beans and butterfly peas growing over the piles.

Keep the info coming! Thanks.

Gardening When it Counts by Steve Solomon.

"Flat" is never "flat." The water will go somewhere.

Also, how deep is the water table? You might be more concerned about drainage and raised beds to keep waterlogging-sensitive plants above flood waters.

I'm on flat subtropical land with a high water table. I wish I had used heavy equipment to make "pit and mound" or some form of raised areas for tree planting when I first started out.

David Blume.
Eliot Coleman (not "permaculture" but must-read if you want to market garden organically.)
Darren Doherty (fairly business oriented, more forestry and broadacre design than veggies though.)

Yes, that Mark Shepard article is very good.

You're asking the right question. Be very wary of advice from people who dismiss or downplay economic considerations.

I highly recommend EIWTDII.  Anger and outrage is the proper response to the kind of tyranny that farmers (and pretty much everybody else) have to face everyday in dealing with the government.  If Joel gets a little repetitive and too fired up occasionally, I forgive him.

Is anybody still building new subdivisions in Montana?

I've been trying to spread this awesome news as far as I can.  I hope this law stands up to challenges and every city in America passes the same ordinance.