Sent 08/28/2026 Starting about 18 months ago, we began working with Ancorum Credit Union in Bath on ways to address both problems and many of you helped test some ideas. Twenty Rising Tide Co-op members-owners participated in interviews with Scott Budde (Ancorum’s SVP of Strategy) on various options and over 250 of you completed an online survey. Thank you to everyone who participated! The result: it’s coming! Based on your feedback, we are aiming to provide members with a Rising Tide Co-op Visa Reward Card option in October. The card will work like a conventional Visa card with cash back rewards, extra points for shopping at Rising Tide and specials on merchandise for cardholders. Also, Ancorum will pay (or pay back!) to Rising Tide a portion of those pesky interchange fees. Why Ancorum? A few reasons. As a state-chartered credit union, Ancorum is a financial cooperative owned by its over 30,000 members. Equally important, Ancorum has programs designed to strengthen our local food system. Ancorum has a dedicated loan officer for small farms and provides critical financing – often not easily available elsewhere – to many of the farms who supply Rising Tide. They are also one of the largest corporate users of Bumper Crop certificates for use at farmers markets. Finally, Ancorum is an active and significant supporter of many key Maine institutions including MOFGA, Maine Farmland Trust, and many others. Stay tuned for more info, and please consider adding the upcoming Visa card to your wallet. One of the fun benefits of being a member-owner of the co-op is that you get to nominate and elect our Co-op for Community Day partners. Last year Rising Tide donated $7,945.04 to these partner organizations! Do you know a local non-profit that’s doing great work in our community? Nominations can only be made by Rising Tide member-owners, but you may nominate as many as you’d like! If you are not sure about your ownership status, please contact outreach@risingtide.coop. Eligible partners must be a registered 501(c)(3) organization, based in Maine, and make a measurable, direct impact on Lincoln County residents. Schools, religious organizations, and political groups are not eligible. Ideally, these organizations will be able to make the most of the opportunity to come into Rising Tide and present information and takeaways for the public to be educated and aware of their efforts within our community. This year’s partners are Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust, Healthy Kids, Skidompha Library, Ecumenical Food Pantry, Caring For Kids, Waldoboro Food Pantry, Stepping Stone Housing, Veggies To Table, Blessings In A Backpack – Jefferson Village School, CHIP (Community Housing Improvement Project), and the Jefferson Area Community Food Pantry. Nominations can be made here or with a paper form in the store through September 7. Voting will then take place during our Annual Election, starting September 11. More info will be coming soon. Thank you for being a dedicated member-owner of Rising Tide Co-op! SALE ENDS MONDAY STARTING TUESDAY COMING SOON Stepping Stone Housing Inc. provides affordable transitional housing for individuals and families that earn less than a living wage in Lincoln County. They are a local, volunteer run, grassroots program dedicated to helping those who earn less than a living wage find affordable housing as a “stepping stone” to a better life. They work with their residents on budgeting, planning, and goal setting and direct them to community resources to help them succeed. steppingstonehousing.org Tickets are now available for this year’s festival, taking place Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Manson Park in Pittsfield. We invite you to spend the day exploring Maine’s vibrant cheese and food community while enjoying tastings, demonstrations, vendors, and more. Purchase your tickets today and join us in celebrating 10 years of the Maine Cheese Festival.Sign up for The Rising Times newsletter and get this great information straight in your email!
August 28, 2026
COOPERATION AMONG COOPERATIVES
CONCERN FOR COMMUNITY
Every month, we donate .5% of our Wednesday sales to an organization nominated and voted on by our member-owners. That organization is also invited to come into Rising Tide and present information and takeaways for the public to be educated and aware of this organization’s efforts within our community.
AUGUST’S PARTNER:
Get your tickets here.
COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLE #6:
In 2025, Rising Tide Co-op paid over $156,000 in fees to accept credit cards for purchases. Equally distressing, we noticed that most of the credit cards used at Rising Tide were issued by large for-profit banks with no real commitment to Maine or to building a stronger local food system.
COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLE #7:
FROM OUR FRIENDS AT CHIP
Grab your work gloves—or just your willingness to help! Community Cares Day is back on September 12, and we’re looking for volunteers of all ages and skill levels. Join us as we work together to make a lasting difference for our neighbors across Lincoln County. Register.
WE’RE EXCITED TO SPONSOR THIS EVENT
The countdown to the 10th Annual Maine Cheese Festival has begun.
FROM OUR FRIENDS AT CYC YMCA
FROM OUR FRIENDS AT SKIDOMPHA LIBRARY
Want to expand your palette, but don’t know where to start? Hate buying a whole jar of a spice you’re not even sure you’ll like? Try Skidompha Library’s new Spice of Life Collection! Starting the first Tuesday of each month, patrons will be able to take home a sample of the highlighted spice, two recipes on how to use it, and a suggested reading/history guide. All spices are donated by our kind sponsors at Rising Tide Co-op.
AUTOMATIC ROUND UP
As a member-owner you have the option to round up at the register every time, without being asked. Talk to a front end team member, click on the graphic below, or email Shannon at outreach@risingtide.coop if you would like to set this up. Thanks!
SUPPORT LOCAL