On another note that might be a good topic for a future post, for raised beds people have different opinions on building material. While the guy at Home Depot has his very strong opinion against treated lumber founded on more of a CYA motive, I found the following helpful in assessing the risks: http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/YGLNews/YGLN-June0101.html#as
It’s a little outdated but basically makes sense. Eventually the treatment chemicals make their way from the wood into the soil. However, the type of treatments now used are less toxic, and if you find treated lumber for above ground (rather than in-ground) it is less toxic. I built ours from treated wood before really consideringthis aspect. But I wanted the beds to last and not decay. So in one bed, the sides are lined with 6 mil black visqueen on the sides.

If I had to build ours over again, for small beds I would go with a composite (like a Trex) from recycled materials and reinforce the sides with metal stakes to prevent it from bowing, since the composites aren’t very strong. The other option that we’re going to do for our next edible area which will be 100-200 square feet is to use landscaping/retaining wall blocks and do a terraced setup with lots of access points. I’m also a big fan of provisioning during the intital design for stakes to hold plants erect, lattice-material for climbers, and fencing to deter pests (rabbits are our main problem after trapping and relocating a few squirrels).

Thanks for the great info and entertaining writing style.