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GLOVERSVILLE - Volunteers stocked shelves with everything from rutabagas to raspberries for Wednesday's opening of the Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market.

A steady flow of traffic filled the small store at 51 N. Main St. Shoppers perused aisles of coffee, rice, fresh dairy, organic meat, pasta and fresh fruits and veggies provided almost entirely by local farmers and producers.

Manager Chris Curro said the response the market received Wednesday is the one volunteers there had been "dreaming of."

"It's been non-stop," he said, several hours after the store's 9 a.m. opening.

Planning for the market began just about a year ago, Curro said. The market offers memberships for $150, and members receive discounts, can order in bulk and have a say in co-op business. A membership is not required to shop at the store.

Curro said the market has about 127 families and individuals signed up as members and has an ultimate goal of 300. In the first few hours of the store opening Wednesday, the organization gained two more members, he said.

The fresh and dried fruit have been some of the more popular items, as has the free-range chickens being sold, he said. Several workers from Workforce Solutions helped at the store for several days last week, Curro said. Ryan Blood of Johnstown, an 11th-grader, was one such worker.

"I like it," Blood said. "It keeps you busy for the day. I learned about stocking."

Curro said soon Blood and the other young workers will learn how to operate the cash register and will be interacting more with customers.

Deanna Palczak of Amsterdam came to the market with her mother, Sheila Wheeler, and 12-year-old daughter, McKenna. McKenna already had picked out raspberries and white chocolate-covered pretzels within a few minutes of walking in.

"I have a lot of experience with co-ops. I travel to get bulk food because you can get a lot of good quality food for a great price," Deanna Palczak said. "So we were excited when we heard about this place."

Wheeler agreed.

"We couldn't wait [to see it]," she said.

Deanna Palczak said she is considering becoming a member and is glad to have a co-op nearby. She said co-ops do best when they are supported by their surrounding communities.

"I think I'll be a regular customer," she said. "Co-ops feed the community, no pun intended."

At Grandma Millie's bakery across the street, co-owner Jason McCormick said he noticed a marked increase in the number of people walking around downtown Wednesday morning.

"There are definitely more people walking around," he said.

Andrew Johnston, owner of the Open Window Giftshop and Cafe down the street, agreed.

"Anything that draws people to the downtown is a great thing," he said.

For more information, visit the store at 51 N. Main St. or check out the organization's Web site at www.mohawkharvest.org

Kayleigh Karutis covers Gloversville news. She can be reached at gloversville@leaderherald.com