Some local councils in Canada offer free ploughing for beginners on poor soil. I know you are USA but worth a try. Otherwise look for someone who can plough it up for you to break up the clay lumps, and let the weather work on it. Rotovating is not deep enough.

^^^ Ploughing a garden ????

I'm afraid it's going to be good old fashioned hard work.

Dig the garden over and try to get as much organic matter in there as possible....manure, leaf mould, garden compost, spent potting compost, grit etc etc

It'll take a few years to get right but if you keep doing that....and use lots of organic stuff, not just a covering, you will end up with beautiful soil.

Dig it over before the winter and leave it rough. The weather will get at it and break it down

Agree with Badfish, but if you wanted to plant this year, this preparation still needs to be carried out and can be done now, and left to settle for a week or two before planting. However, what you add to the soil when digging differs depending on what vegetables you want to grow - root crops like carrots do not like animal manure in the soil.

Plus you could make a raised bed to grow veg in while you are waiting for the rest of your garden soil to improve.

Ladyessex has it right ! I have been struggling with the
Badfish/Bamboo method for 15 years. Now have 7 raised beds, filled with Growbags, and am adding compost to them.