55.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Rising Tide recognized for decades of service
Small businesses can take giant leaps to make big differences in their communities. For over 40 years, Sea Cliff resident Jerry Farrell, owner of Rising Tide Natural Market on Forest Avenue in Glen Cove, has been doing just that. Farrell will receive the 2023 Businessperson of the Year Award at the upcoming Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce’s 38th Annual Legislative Breakfast on Oct. 27.
Rising Tide was first established in 1976 in an 800-square-foot store in Locust Valley with Farrell’s close friends Mike Melia and his wife, Melanie, while sharing a house in Bayville. Their shared interest in nutrition led them to take weekly visits into Manhattan since finding natural food sold in larger quantities at stores wasn’t an option. Farrell said the typical health food store at the time sold mostly vitamins and a limited number of packaged foods.
The group of high school friends grew tired of the time-consuming trips to Manhattan and brainstormed how they could make lives on the North Shore more convenient for themselves and their community. It was the lyrics from a Grateful Dead song — “Got some things to talk about, here beside the rising tide” that inspired the trio to start and name their business.
In the beginning of their new business venture, the entrepreneurs found ways of selling fresh foods in bulk.
“We sought them out,” Farrell said. “We made it a point to try to source produce that was without preservatives and without sugar.”
In 2018, the market planned to move across the street to a nearly 11,000 square-foot building, but those plans were put on hold when the building’s landlord faced health issues, Farrell said. He had worked with the landlord in designing the building, which is 75 percent complete. According to Farrell, the building’s landlord plans to sell the property, which includes the attached daycare center. If Farrell’s able to secure the location with the new landlord it will have 73 parking spots, allow for the store to expand its selections in all departments and add an indoor café.
Since the market established itself in Glen Cove, they’ve established relationships with local farms across the tri-state, including Orkestai Farm in Oyster Bay, which is October’s charity of the month. For the past 10 years the markets bring your own bag program has helped raise funds for a different local charity each month. Organizations like Cove Animal Rescue, the Glen Cove Boys and Girls Club and Nosh have been some of the recipients of the market’s charitable causes. Customers pay 10 cents for each paper bag bought during checkout, and the market matches those purchases.
Ashley Casale started working with the market as a cashier when she was 16, and a student at the Glen Cove High School. The now 32-year-old is the store’s operations manager now and says she has deepened her connection to the community since working for the store. Like Farrell, Casale knows many of the customer’s by name.
“It was just a part time job in high school, but I never left,” Casale said. “You gain trust and loyalty and I love it here. I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.”
