I'm newly married and will be planting my first vegetable garden. I have about an acre of land to choose from, but i've heard from the neighbors that my plot gets water-logged easily (even though we have a slight slope and drainage ditches all around). I also have very tall, mature trees on the perimeter of the property. I'm in zone 5, I believe. How do I decided where to place this garden? How can I discover how well the water will drain? How much sunlight per day should it get, etc? Thanks so much for all your help!

lots of sunlight [as much as possible], try to stay away from the trees, and maybe add gardening gypsum to increase drainage in the soil..



--Mark--

Vegies like plenty of sun, so pick a spot close to the house, for ease for maintenance and in full or near full sun, (a bit of late afternoon shade in Summer isn't a bad thing). You'll need water nearby too. Don't put it far from an existing water supply unless you plan to install more water lines.
Regarding the soil drainage, dig a hole about a foot deep, and tip in a bucket of water. Time how long it takes for the water to dissappear into the soil. If it takes more than 15 min you may need to improve the soil a bit. If it takes more than 30 min you almost certainly would do better building up the soil. (This is a good idea regardless.) Clay based soils drain poorly. Sand based soils drain freely. Somewhere in between is ideal.
Do your neighbours grow vegies or do they have successful gardens? They may give you a few tips on exactly what the soil needs not only drainage wise but also with Ph, nutrient etc. I'd have another talk to them.