My first step was finding some space not too far from my house near Downtown Riverside.   I placed an ad on craigslist and got some offers for land up in the high desert or cherry valley which is too far of a drive. I finally located a property behind the Riverside National Cemetery.    The owner gave me a good rate for monthly rent as I only need a small portion of the 1.5 acres, but gives me the space to grow.  Its fenced and secure with access to water.
The next step was designing the raised beds I need to build.    I decided to use 2x10's which are high enough to fill with enough dirt for the roots to grow deep and thick enough to hold the weight of the dirt.    They are 4 feet wide by 8 feet long.   I connected the corners with long screws and water proofed the wood with Thompson's water sealant.