I taught my life science students how to garden this past year using raised beds and the square foot method. My crops were amazing (compared to gardens I’ve had in the past). The students who kept up with their plots also had good crops. The trick is not fudging on the soil materials: 1/3 compost, 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite. The compost shouldn’t have lots of twigs in it. Good luck and have fun!

based on all of your goals, i’d recommend that you check out permaculture design.

i’m currently reading Gaia’s Garden: a home-scale guide to permaculture, and it’s been very informative and interestly written (not just some random assortment of information, but almost story-like in it’s organization & language, yet you walk away with a lot)

we’ll get through peak oil! (at least you and me and toby hemenway, heh)