Preparing the garden is most of the work and yes, it takes a lot out of you. That is why mine is so very small. With my back I have to stop often. This is where hiring a strong college student or even High School senior is a blessing if you know one and have the money. After that....get yourself one of those little garden stools on wheels. I have one that holds my hand tools. Then I just sit and wheel down the row. If I had a bigger property like your's I'd design my rows really far apart, so there was a nice, hard pathway in between. Then the little cart could wheel real easy. And for irrigation if you need it....drip. They have cheap, do it yourself stuff you can get at home depot. It can hook up to the garden hose. And you can even get a battery operated timer so you don't even have to turn it on and off every day.

Are there any fruit trees that will live through a Minnesota winter?

Maybe you should consider retirement in Belize?