Too bad about the poplars, but IIRC they are good for coppicing, which means they'll grow back from the roots if you cut them down--good for renewable fuel. For somebody. Anyway...just a thought about the parking strip: some neighborhoods are really Zoney about what gets planted there. The zoning laws will say what you can put there. Most of the time people overlook them, but I would think something like corn would get attention...you might want to check your local zoning laws. Not that I'm a big fan of such laws, but there they are, do with them what you will. I love the idea of planting root veggies there.