rusty, try planting a cover crop of annual rye grass, horse beans (favas i think), let them grow over winter and chop roto till them into the soil while getting ready in the spring. its called a green manure crop. it does several things, most being the roots let h2o into the soil during winter and planted enough, will croud out winter annual weeds. not to mention the beans will build up alittle nitrogen through the rhizobia (SP?). good luck
Good plan