Windbreaks, riparian buffers and living fences can be intentionally-designed to include plants that additionally yield edible and therapeutic harvests, as well as other products and benefits.
For example, planting offsetting rows of evergreens along with properly placed fruiting trees and shrubs can together, function as effective windbreaks. Including nutrient-fixing/ accumulating plants as natural fertilizer plus plants for pollinator habitat as well as wildlife and insect management can together, help form a largely, self-sustaining guild. Keep in mind that there are some plants that host disease, such as cedars hosting apple rust.
For living fences, consider evergreens, black locust, Osage orange, and/ or willow, intertwining thorny native berry species for food and additional barrier-protection. Living snow-fences can help keep drifting snow off roads, plus allocate snow more evenly across a field.
Riparian buffers are groups of plants (usually, 3-5 rows of trees or shrubs) adjacent to watercourses+ to protect them from pollution and erosion. Plants in riparian buffers can further provide supplemental benefits, either as food*, therapeutics*, decorative items, or biomass.**
+ Keeping in mind that watercourses can facilitate propagation, all plants and seeds should be carefully considered.
*With food and therapeutics especially, understanding any pollution (type and load) is important to ensure the safety of the products (proper plant-positioning).
**If plants are to be harvested for biomass, seven or more woody rows may be needed in order to maintain the basic design integrity of the buffer.
There are many great options for native plantings with supplemental benefits.
Note that many Soil and Water Conservation District offices at the county level hold annual tree and shrub sales, offering native varieties at deeply-discounted prices. Many district offices open their sales up for ordering in late winter for spring planting, while others are held in the summer for fall planting.