How can I quickly raise the pH of my soil?

I'm starting new garden beds in southern Vermont.  I'm in a forest, so I have acidic soil.  This will be my first full year here, and I'm just getting the gardens started.

What can I do now to get the beds ready for planting this year?  

If I make raised beds of maybe 6-8 inches, can I add some purchased soil to mix in?  I'm looking at products from http://www.vermontnaturalagproducts.com/products/moo/, which is a Vermont company.  I prefer using local products if I can.   But buying dirt/soil/compost can get expensive.

I've seen posts about using baking soda, is this a myth?

In case it matters, I'm on the north side of a mountain at about 1300 feet high.  The area had birch trees which neighbors tell me were cut down about 10 years ago, though I still see logs.  Ferns were growing last year.  They'll try to come back this year.  Can I use them as mulch?

My go-to would be wood ash. It's highly alkaline -- so much so that I don't use it directly in my garden soil, though the raspberries don't seem to mind. It might be a perfect cheap/free option for you.

Anne Miller posted this in another thread:

Here are some threads that you or others might find beneficial for helping acid soil:

https://permies.com/t/174898/pH-amend-acid-soil

https://permies.com/t/160669/Confused-soil-PH-structure

You also might enjoy Dr. Bryant Redhawk's Soil Series:

https://permies.com/wiki/redhawk-soil

I would like to recommend this one to learn more about soil:

https://permies.com/t/63914/Soil

There really is no fast way to get your PH level up. It takes wood ash or lime and even "quick lime" takes a few months before it kicks in.

As for the harvested logs, you might be in good shape. The first seven years after being harvested and converted to field, the soil robs the soil of nitrogen as it breaks down the woody debris in the soil. After 7 years though, it goes the other way and gives it back. The loggers might have taken the boles of wood or trunks, but probably not the limbs and tops, and even if they did, over the years branches falling down would add woody debris to the soil. Basically, after you clear wood into field, you get a huge hugel measured in acres.