Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

Hello PTO.
I'm planning a small orchard and would like to put nitrogen fixing shrubs and trees intermixed with the apples and plums etc. Obviously if those fixers could produce some fruit of their own, that would be a win win. I've come across 2 relatives of the Russian olive tree (all Elaeagnus sp.) that look quite promising... but see a lot of warnings about autumn olive being invasive, while goumi is not? Does anyone grow these plants? Is there a taste difference? How invasive are they for you?
Any advice on a permaculture style orchard appreciated. : )

This is the first time I've heard of goumi berries, so I googled it. It looks like it's a very nutritious fruit, and a good hedgerow type bush too. The only thing that may be a problem when it comes to growing them in these parts is that it's hardy up to zone 4, and I think we are zone 5b here in SE Ontario. I don't know what zone you are in Cuttlefish, but maybe if the bushes are well mulched and in a protected spot, they will survive our winter temps - and by that I mean our "normal" winter temps, not what we have experienced so far this year.

Yeah, that's part of the problem. I've lived here for almost 10 years and we've had a winter low of -19C and last winter's -33C. There's a big difference for plants! But I am encouraged by the fact that at least one nursery sells them (between Guelph and KW) called Whiffletree. Fair warning, they have a lot of cool stuff. : )