Many years I've done all this, had a 25'x25' garden. Made good use, many years, with a rototiller, saving some time and effort.
And, I'm happy to say, I have the a best population of well-fed moles, chipmunks, gophers, rabbits and many other creatures to show for it.
At least you have soil. Here in NH the only thing most of this state is good at growing is rocks and pine trees.
I planted a hydranga tree for my wife. I dug a 3’ diameter hole one foot deep. I removed a wheelbarrow full of rocks for that hole. One the size of a basketball.
A few years later I had a guy come in with a Kubota mini excavator. Here cleared the boulders/rocks on the surface of about an acre. He ended up building a new rock wall about 100’ long.
I also had him dig 5 holes with the excavator to plant fruit trees. I filled the holes with loam. Then planted the fruit trees.
I grow our bedding plants a lot cheaper than $5 a plant. Their numbers are way off what each plant will produce. Properly tended the production is a lot higher. We home can so savings last all yr. Fresh tastes a lot better. Raise chickens for your own fertilizer. Raised beds are easier to take care of. You can fence rabbits out and 22LR works well on squirrels and provide food for table
Moles are easily wiped out. Get an old 1 or 3 hp engine. Attach a metal flex hose to exhaust and put it down a mole hole. Let it run awhile and no moles left.
My wife had two raised 5X5 gardens spots last year. This year she is wanting to expand because of the economy in the crapper. We live in the woods so I will have to put up fencing around it but that is a one time expense.
She never really had a garden until last year. For a few years I would put out tomato plants near the house and had exceptional success with them but got tired of fooling with them. I have a green thumb but just don’t care much for gardening, I had to do a lot of it as a kid. Tilling, planting, weeding, harvesting.