steve: oak forest/woodland in Italy

Hi Steve, I've had a busy week and really haven't had time to read alle the threads in the forum since you've started answering. Anyway I'm glad you came here and hope you'll pop up sometimes again.
I live in Italy and have two types of plots. one is a forest that I haven't started to observe thoroughly, and is separated from my main plot. The second plot i have walked and observed for nearly a year, it's nearly a hectare, it divides my land in two and on the sides I have these terraces with olive tree's and I'll eventually start growing fruit trees and veggies. the woodland, i wouldn't call it a forest is mostly made up of oak, i would say quercus robur, some Ostrya carpinifolia, and Juniperus communis, and genista that I still have to identify as for it's specific species, the nice thing of the last plant is that it is a nitrogen fixer and it grows under the canopy
anyway first thing i thought, and would like to know what you think of, is all the acorns of those oaks can't I eat them? my partner is celiac and there is no gluten in acorn flour so I'll try to cut off a market niche there and who knows it could work, I mean for celiacs they're using amaranth flour, so why not try.
secondly I will look in november with a friend of mine if there are truffles, here we eat them a lot and they really bring in big bucks. the territory around me is a truffle natural area, they are not grown, so we'll see.
using the juniperus berries for gin? I have a friend that is opening a distillery that could be an option.
and this is for the things the woodland gives for free
I'm thinking planting wild asparagus under the trees, and berries, strawberries. trying to use the little openings there are in the canopy to give them some more light. then of course I would like to grpw any perennial vegetable I can.
I'm thinking of growing shiitake I hope in zone 9 they grow I haven't rellay got into shiitake, so many thing to read and think, but it's in the list. there your book will come in handy for sure.
I'll try to grow some boletus edulis they are not easy to grow but i have friends that have managed. and here we actually go crazy for them, fried they are awesome.
the woodland has not been touched or cut for 10 years and is really beautiful. I really sometimes think I would not want to do anything with it and just and observe, but I have to make a living.
I would like to cut some oaks, that i use for heating my home and planting other tree's like nut's for sure maybe in the clearings, and black locust I'll use it for poles.
the big thing will be to fence the whole plot out we have to many wild boars and deers
I hope you can give me some advices even though maybe the difference in the habitat is great.
oh i specified woodland because i must say Ben Law gave me this thing of being very precise between forest and woodland ther eis a difference.

keep on working as you do on making the movement grow and stay happy

Hi Lorenzo:

Sounds like a wonderful place! The advice I would give is to find the balance between two things: Your own goals and the current trend of the landscape. In the book we talk about forest types and the benefits of learning your particular forest type and then really working within the confines of that to develop your system. Your goals will also direct you. If you want to dabble in lots of things, the system will end up very different than if you are seeking to generate more income, which will mean less species and more intensive production.

I appreciate Ben's distinction of woodland vs forest, which Dave Jacke also makes (as do we, in the book). There really isn't a hardline between the distinction technically, but its important conceptually that forest can range dramatically from full canopy to savannah like conditions, which will also largely determine your course of action.

I am unsure about shiitake in that warm of a zone, but I bet if you can locate WARM WEATHER strains you will do better. You certainly have a much wider palate of wonderful species to work with there.

have fun!

Steve

Thanks Steve. yes i know I sort of put everything when I describe what would want to do with my land. lets say I squashed all the succession in the thread I wrote. I'll start from small and build up slowly.
yes the place is awesome and I hope to growup with it. we'll see.
Ihave diversepossibilities to decide what to start with and slowly build.
I've been told thid before here on permies.com and I guess it's the best feedback I've had.
can't wait to receive the book I'll read it and think a lot while sitting in my woodland