About Purple Dragon Co-op
A Better Way to Buy Natural Products
What is a Food Co-op?
A food co-op is a like a buying club, where groups of families buy food together and share the labor involved to save money and/or to get better products or products normally unavailable in their area.
What is Purple Dragon Co-op?
Purple Dragon Co-op was formed in 1987 to bring natural foods into our area at prices closer to wholesale. In 1989, we began working to improve the availability of exquisitely fresh organic produce for our members. Janit London, a songwriter and veteran of many food co-ops with 40 years experience in the natural foods business, designed Purple Dragon’s unique format: a new low-labor co-op model that works for today’s busy families.
I’ve Seen Other Groups Like Yours. How is Purple Dragon Co-op Different?
Purple Dragon is based on the principle that by supporting small local organic and alternative farmers and buying and working together a community can support the health of its citizens and the planet. We buy from many local organic and other alternative farmers and work closely with them to support their efforts to grow food in an ecologically sound manner in our own region.
We also shop up and down the East Coast, eastern Canada, the rest of the US, Europe, and New Zealand, and buy from certain farms in Central and South America and the Caribbean. When in doubt about a grower’s authenticity, we double check certifications with reliable sources in the industry. We work to provide you with the finest and most interesting variety of organic produce available.
We constantly refine and improve our service. We welcome your suggestions. We are also different from other co-ops in that we are the only group that is really a co-op. Our members can work (see FAQ, “How Much Do I Have To Work). This allows us to offer lower prices and better quality produce — and members get to meet people with similar interests in our area. It is also a chance to be closer to nature by handling the beautiful fruits and vegetables soon after they arrive from local farms.
Another difference is that we stand up for what we believe. We recycle all office paper, use only recycled paper, return crates to farmers, re-use boxes, and support environmental and organic farming associations, including Green America, CAFF, NCAP, NOFA and the NJ Organic Farming Association.
