What kind of soil do you have, acid or alkaline or neutral?

Just be sure you don't plan a SOLID barrier. You don't want to stop the wind completely, just slow it down. And if you've got the space, use varying heights.

We need more info.

Sue

I haven't spent any time where I'm moving so I haven't had a chance to test the soil pH. My guess would be neutral to acid as a friend in the same area has planted blueberries and they're not doing well. The soil is clay based.
And yes, I want to vary the plantings in both height and density to just slow down rather than stop the wind. I thought the outer barrier might be some deciduous fruit trees then something non-deciduous as an inner barrier.

... my guess would be neutral to alkaline, not neutral to acidic!!

Maybe some of these?

Acacia 6.0 to 8.0
Catalpa 6.0 to 8.0
Elaeagnus 5.0 to 7.5
Eucalyptus 7.0 to 8.0
Forsythia 6.0 to 8.0
Paulownia 6.0 to 8.0
Pomegranate 7.0 to 8.0
Salt Cedar 7.0 to 8.0
Syringa 6.0 to 8.0
Tamarisk 7.0 to 8.0
Wistaria 6.0 to 8.0

Good suggestions Belgianpup, thanks. I like the pomegranate - I'd like something edible or otherwise useful. Perhaps interspersed with some Aussie acacias as nitrogen fixers and suppliers of rough mulch. I was thinking of something like broadbean as an inner barrier as some of them can get up to almost 2m.

I'd be leery of using salt cedar/tamarisk, it can become a noxious weed and tends to escape and displace native plants in many regions. Also most plants mentioned are deciduous so will be useless as winter time windbreaks.

I just recently found out about the Tamarisk/Salt Cedar when I was looking for something else. It DEFINITELY looks like something you would not want on your property!

Also, there may not be many types (if any) of fruit trees that should be used as the first line of defense against the winds, as the wind (hot or cold) does stress the trees, and may do so badly enough so you don't get fruit. Planting evergreens as the first barrier, then fruit trees might be a better idea.

Sue

Some hardy bamboo will grow quickly and tall, are very strong, will keep their leaves in winter, are edible when young, grow in many types of soil, and yield very useful wood for poles and trellises, etc. It even makes good firewood (but not for wood stoves) in some applications. I would think it would be great for a kachelofen or rocket stove/mass heater in that it burns hot.

For a windbreak I think I'd opt for the runners and see if they'll run along the break line and then restrict them later, although that's living a bit dangerously. The clumpers, though, are more controllable and may work just as well.