I saw something on "food forests" on property and my thought process hasn't been the same. Instead of vegetable gardens and plants that need to be planted annually, add some trees that don't die every year to produce food each year. Think apple and pear trees to name a few. Obviously, you'll still have the stuff that needs to be planted each year, but how nice to have mature plants that produce food.
I agree on fruit trees being a great thing, but they take years to produce.
Pecan, plum, peach, pear, fig, walnut, and others all grow here in Texas. Grapes, black berries are some vines that come back each year.
I actually did some research recently to see if a coffee tree would grow here. Verdict was not without a green house.
If your gonna have fruit trees, gotta a live trap set out 24x7.My pear trees are to the producing age and were covered this year. Squirrels ate every one of them.