Food Forest hacks

• Making tree cages out of 2×4 fencing and wooden garden stake. Maybe too obvious for a hack, but the rolled fencing was much easier than other things I tried since it already wants to be rolled into a circular shape, so its easy to cut into the appropriate width and zip-tie it to a garden stake. Surprisingly sturdy and reusable.
• Planting ground cover inside the same cage as trees. My strawberries kept getting browsed to death until I put them inside, which lets them act as a living mulch for the trees too!
• Planting fava beans fairly densely around tree cages. The cage doubles as a trellis for the beans. Let them grow out and then thin half of them. The half you kill provide nitrogen to the tree, the other half can be harvested for more seed and for a super high protein food which is not easy to get in a food forest. They also provide some dappled light for more sun-sensitive younger trees, like paw paws.

Any good food forest “hacks” or tips you’ve found?