People don’t need to have a green thumb to help out at the Sharpsburg Market Garden.

Tucked away near the intersection of Middle and 13th streets is where free fresh vegetables can be found.

A handful of volunteers on Friday evenings tend to 25 beds each about 3 feet wide by 6 feet long.

“It’s a labor of love down here,” said volunteer and resident Chris Girty.

On an evening in June, Girty carefully shifted some soil and moved some vines as she checked on the tomatoes.

Her husband, Joe, and his brother, Chuck Girty of Shaler, shoveled some excess dirt and made a perimeter around the fence for some other plant life.

Garden manager Ruth Ann McGarry of Sharpsburg said she appreciates all the help she can get at the garden, which was created a few years ago with the help of Grow Pittsburgh. The borough donated the land in 2019.

The garden has also received annual grants from the Sisters of St. Joseph since March 2021 as part of that group’s efforts to help stave off hunger in local communities.

Other agencies that have financially contributed include Second Harvest and the Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization.

“It keeps us running,” McGarry said of the support. “We’ve gotten solar panels. We’ve gotten equipment and soil compost. Things that we need every year to get going. It would be extremely hard for us if we didn’t get grants.”

The garden provides nearly 200 pounds of food per year. Planning begins in April, with plantings starting in May.

McGarry said the goal is to provide borough residents and others with a variety of produce, no questions asked.

Items planted so far this year include tomatoes, lettuce, beans, eggplant, onions, garlic, radishes, herbs, squash and zucchini with more to come.

The Market Garden is less than a few blocks from the Community Garden behind the library along Main Street, where residents can purchase a bed to grow their own fruits and veggies.

McGarry said the best way to start volunteering is to come to the garden on Fridays around 5 p.m.

Volunteers do not need to be borough residents. Email ruthann.mcgarry@yahoo.com for more information.

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