Amsterdam Farmers Market’s debut pleases man and beast

Dover, a 4-year-old Boston terrier, tries some pesto made by Leslie Maiello, right, of Schenectady, as his owner, Stephanie Marcus, center, of Newmarket, N.H., and Ravena Murphy of Gloversville look on Saturday at the opening of the Amsterdam Farmers M...

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Dover is a very picky eater.

At opening day of the Amsterdam Farmers Market on Saturday, however, he tried Leslie Maiello’s pesto and licked it up — literally.

“He loved the pesto,” said Stephanie Marcus, 27, who brought the 4-year-old Boston terrier to the farmers market outside the Walter Elwood Museum. “He’s had more of an oily pesto, and he didn’t like it.”

Marcus also tried the pesto — made from Maiello’s father’s “old world recipe.”

“It was delicious, actually,” said Marcus, of New Haven, New Hampshire. “It was really good. You could tell that it was fresh ingredients.”

Marcus was visiting a friend, Jennifer Greco of Gloversville, who sold tie-dyed shirts and was one of the new market’s 14 vendors. The market opened at 10 a.m. and was busy with people into the afternoon. The market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. again next week and every Saturday.

“It’s great to see the community turn out like this,” Marcus said. “I think it could use some more vendors, as well, but I think that just comes with time.”

The market featured a bounce house and vendors of baked goods, soul food, hot dogs, clothing and other products, but only one farmer, Bill Lindquist of Amsterdam.

“None of the farmers showed up, so I did great,” he said. “You gotta do work to get it, but I brought in like $250 for the day — a lot better than I expected.”

Ben Wallach, an organizer who serves as marketing director for the Niskayuna Co-op, said two farmers cancelled, but next week’s market will have four farmers.

“We do expect more produce next week,” he said. “It was a little hard getting the produce started, but everyone sold out. The vendors are super happy.”

Shannon Keenan, owner of Swirl Bake Shoppe in Rotterdam, sold all 40 French macaroons she brought to the market.

“I made more money in an hour than I did in Saratoga,” she said, referring to the Spa City Market held Sundays.

Maiello, whose pesto is called Leslie’s Made With Love, said she sold out of her 4- and 8-ounce jars.

“I love it because people are coming in consistently. And it’s something new for Amsterdam, and everybody wants Amsterdam to succeed,” the Schenectady woman said. “There’s no better place for a farmers market because there’s so much country around here.”

Wallach said the market will be year-round, moving into the Church Street museum in the fall.

“It’s a wonderful start, and it’ll just build and build and build,” he said.