Purple Dragon’s new online ordering system is almost ready to go, says general manager Janit London, the singer-songwriter who started the co-op in 1987 as a way for a group of young mothers and their families to access high-quality organic produce. Over the past 28 years, Purple Dragon, which organizes neighborhood groups in towns all over New Jersey and New York, has grown to more than seventy-five groups of families.

For now, ordering is open only to members, who receive a pre-selected mixed box of local and non-local certified organic and natural fruits and vegetables every other week for prices close to wholesale. Members may use the new online ordering system to purchase more than 1,000 natural grocery products at co-op member prices, such as additional fruits and vegetables, pasture-raised organic eggs, butter, cheeses and meats, organic grains and beans, natural cleaning and pest-control products, local honeys, and blueberry butter made from local, organically grown blueberries.

“We invite anyone interested to visit PurpleDragon.com for information about joining, hosting or starting a neighborhood pod,” London says. “Neighborhood groups can be formed wherever there are interested families. The host household earns a $40 discount each delivery, and dividers can earn a $30 discount each delivery. Members can receive discounts if their friends join. Members achieve better health for their family while enjoying the best variety of local produce available. And buying directly from local farms helps save farms in our region, which limits sprawl and pollution.”

For more info, call 973.429.0391 (9 a.m.-7 p.m. only, please). Visit PurpleDragon.com.