It is always best to find a knowledgeable local nurseryman. Ask around. You might consider Pear.

Hi Fireduck. Sounds like you're describing my situation pretty closely, so I'll tell you what has worked for me.

I grow a Gold Spice pear on OHxFarmingdale, not positive which one, and it has done well; I've grafted a few other varieties to it and it's has been happy, precocious, healthy, and manageable. So I recommend that one.

I also have a Liberty apple on some unspecified "semi-dwarf" rootstock. Libety is hale and healthy and hard to manage, but it churns out a ton of apples. I've grafted about 20 varieties to it, and most are doing OK if not well. I'd do it again. Liberty is one of the most disease-resistant apples and we love the fruit, although it's not a great keeper.

I kill off stone fruit with some regularity, but I'm still attempting a prune plum and some apricots. No real advice for you there.

I'm not currently doing any soft fruit or grapes but maybe someday- I should live so long.

Good luck,

Mark

I'm in a very different kind of climate, but I wonder what others in more similar circumstances would say about nanking cherries and juneberries for you.

That's a good idea. I don't know anything about juneberries but nanking cherries certainly do well here in western Montana at 3200 ft. That's the one I don't kill off too regularly.

(I suspect my stone fruit record would be better if my wife didn't water so heavily- we've talked about it and she has backed off quite a bit! Nanking cherry does better with wet feet than many stone fruit.)

I live in California, so I'm not too familiar with Zone 5. But I think Chestnuts, Pine nuts, and possibly persimmons can grow in Zone 5.

Recently I visited Mt. Rushmore and camped at the Black Hills. It was a beautiful place.