The House and The Food Forest

I am currently in the design phase of my food forest.....is it better to have the food forest away from the home or have the home inside the food forest?.....in this case the best soil is away from my home but I think it would be easier to maintain if I was living in it.

I have always thought it would be best to have the food forest cover part of zone 1 and zone 2. The portion in zone 1 would be tended to and observed more often, so needier species could be established and maintained. While the zone 2 portion would be bigger trees, more weedy self seeders etc.

Or if your zone one is already packed with more intensive things, the food forest would be spanning zone 2 and 3.

I live on a small plot so my chickens and forest gardens are right outside my door, mature pecan tree is beyond that in more of a zone 2 position. I imagine though if I had more time and interest in an intensive kitchen garden I would have that closer to the door and push my forestyness a little further out.

Then Again if my land were bigger, then everything I have now would probably be considered zone 1 and the zones would be redistributed into a bigger radius.

It partly depends on your lot, your house, and your climate. Some climates have an abundance of sun, or rain. Some lots have tons of space, and others are tiny, but in strategic locations. Some houses are huge, tall and dominate the lot. Others are tiny houses on huge lots with plenty of extra space beyond the professional necessity. Tall house on small lot makes lots of shade= bad in British Columbia, ok in South Florida. Many food forests gradually move on up to very tall trees, which you don't want really near your house. In that case, you might not be able to use deciduous trees to shade your house in summer, and heat and brighten your house in winter. On a tiny urban lot, you don't really have so many zones.
John S
PDX OR

I would surround the house with the food forest vs separating it.

You should plant your bare root in the fall about a week after 1st frost. To compensate for water/root development
Get a good mycorrhizal mix and apply it to the bare root and soil. To compensate for less than ideal soil.
Plant/broadcast about $200+ worth of bulk dutch clover. To help fix nitrogen.
Plant dwarf cultivars. Easier to manage/harvest, I get most of mines from one green world