read eliot colemans books on organic growing i have been at this for a while and have gone to 30 inch wide raised beds with 4' wide paths if you have the room. have dome mine all by hand shoveling the dirt from the paths to the beds and mulching everything deep
moving a big rruch of sawdust or ground leaves or horse manure is not so bad

i run the tiller down the bed a few times and mulch it again

You could put down cardboard. My back isn't as young as it used to be, and when I need to make a new flower bed, I first put down cardboard and wet it down good, then add the soil and ammendments.

Julie
http://GardenNerds.blogspot.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Dandelion Farm

It all depends on what type of soil you have. I would start with a soil test. It's so worth the money. But I would agree about using the the cardboard...and earthworms will love it too. I did a large area with CB that I found in a dumpster behind a mattress store. The cardboard might not completely break down in a year but it then it might. I built 'lasagna beds' by layering materials over the CB. Also known as sheet composting. you can use coffee grounds, manures, straw, leaves, sawdust etc, etc.

Below is a link from the soil, compost & mulch forum that will provide more details. Scroll down a bit.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Creating a new bed without tilling

Coleman's book is very good especially if you're just getting into growing for market. My suggestion for starting to contol weeds is that you make your beds and plant a cover crop early this summer, buckwheat (two crops?) or Italian annual rye (Barenbrug's Green Spirit). Till them in at summer's end and then plant winter peas if they'll survive your winter. They'll give a nice early growth next spring that you can hand pick or till in depending on your soil's condition. If the field peas won't survive a z3 winter then plant oats as soon as you till in the buckwheat or grass. Done early enough they'll get some good growth and then winter kill leaving a nice mulch over the soil. Tom