Thanks so much for the encouragement. At the moment I am trying to figure out what to plant in the orchard. I'm thinking legumes, vines, bushes.. also I want to grow berries and grapes on the fenceline. My big problem at the moment is I don't understand really what Jack is talking about when he talks about noticing the flow of the land, etc.
At an overall concept level I understand permaculture, however I am getting lost in the details.
I mean I understand the words obviously, but I can't look at my yard and put those words into any sort of action. I realize I need vines and bushes... etc... add mulch.. "Chop and drop".. I understand these basics, but I have no experience growing edible plants. My entire garden experience is doing a bit of landscaping on my driveway. Just some flowers. They grew, they come back every year. I never watered them or did anything to them, just put them in the ground from the nursery and forgot about them. I weed it, that is it.
I'm hoping that between this forum and my local nursery's I can figure out how to make this orchard into a food forest.
Luckily I live in Pennsylvania and have great soil. Anything that you put down just grows even if you never water it. I have more problems with overgrowth than I do with things not growing. I hope this gives me a beginner's edge.
Right now I am considering ordering the permaculture course from midwest permaculture and getting some books off amazon like
Gaia's GardenI just got "backyard food production" in the mail a few days ago so hopefully this sheds some light on things. I haven't watched it yet.
Project Update:
Started getting some plans together for the homestead. Right now I am just window shopping online on sites like gurney's looking at bushes and vines to buy. I plan to go to the local nursery and talk to them and hopefully give them my business. Even with strawberries there are like 100 different kinds with all sorts of claims as to what they can do and how big and awesome they are. Too many choices!

a - planned location of annual vegetable garden. Plan to do square foot gardening with raised beds
b - secondary well. Plan is to install a hand pump and run soaker hose to raised beds. Possibly greywater from rain water catch system too
c - chestnut trees, pear trees, more apple trees
d- walnut trees, more apple trees
e - concrete planters from the previous owner. Currently empty. Plan to put salad garden and herbs here.
f - property line
g - possible area for chicken coup. I figured chickens could do a lot of good inside the orchard with pests, etc... plus this is outside of my fenceline and thus they won't become husky food
This first year I don't want to overwhelm myself so I will focus on the square foot garden, planting only a few bushes and vines and possibly some beans in the orchard. I realize this is more than a hobby, it is important, but I still have a life outside of food production.