Green Guide to Middleton
There’s no doubt about it, sustainability matters to Middleton. We treat every day like it’s Earth Day, but April provides the perfect opportunity to highlight…
There’s no doubt about it, sustainability matters to Middleton. We treat every day like it’s Earth Day, but April provides the perfect opportunity to highlight how the “Good Neighbor City” values the planet.
From eco-friendly buildings and clean transit options to locally sourced food and bold citywide initiatives, every corner of this community reflects a commitment to a greener future. Whether you’re visiting for the weekend or planting roots, Middleton makes it easy to travel more sustainably.
Sustainable Eats
Longtable Beer Cafe
Local sourcing shapes every plate at Longtable Beer Cafe. The restaurant partners with dozens of local purveyors to showcase what the region does best. Start with the soft pretzel — a local favorite. Clasen’s European Bakery bakes it fresh, and the house beer mustard comes from the National Mustard Museum, just down the street. It’s local flavor, literally side by side.
Hidden Cave Cidery
At Hidden Cave Cidery, every glass tells a Wisconsin story. The cider is made exclusively with apples grown in the state, picked from Wisconsin orchards and pressed in small batches. Owner Walker Fanning keeps things seasonal, adjusting the apple blend based on what’s fresh and in harvest. Local honey from Mount Horeb adds a touch of sweetness to some varieties, giving each pour a connection to the land — and the people — who make it all possible.
Willy St. Co-op West
For a quick, sustainable bite, head to Willy Street Co-op West. The hot bar rotates daily, and the deli and bakery serve up fresh options perfect for eating on the go. In 2024 alone, composting efforts across the Co-op’s three Dane County locations kept over 260,000 pounds of waste out of the landfill. The Middleton store features a public EV charging station, low-flow fixtures, and energy-efficient equipment, and it uses 25% less energy than a typical grocery store. No membership is required to shop.
Greenway Station Farmers Market
It doesn’t get more farm fresh than this. The Middleton Farmers Market runs every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. (May 1 through Oct. 1) at Greenway Station. More than a dozen local vendors offer everything from fresh vegetables and cheese curds to jams and baked goods. Seasonal eating cuts down on transportation emissions and keeps your meals aligned with the season.
Sustainable Transportation
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transportation accounts for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions. While transportation isn’t something that the average person can completely eliminate from their life, several options in Middleton make it easier to lower your carbon footprint.
Biking
Explore Middleton by bike using a network of on-street lanes, scenic paved paths, and four miles of trails in a dedicated bike park. One popular route winds along the Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor Trail — a 1.37-mile paved, two-lane path that follows the creek through a natural conservancy area. An interactive bicycle map is available online, or pick up a printed version at the Middleton Visitor Center.
No bike? No problem. Playtri in Greenway Station rents bikes starting at $65 per day. For electric or mountain bike options, Trek Bikes just outside of Middleton (8108 Mineral Point Rd.) offers e-bike rentals for $75 per day and mountain bikes for $100.
Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging
Middleton supports electric vehicle use with seven public charging stations conveniently located across the city. Charging while exploring the area is simple, and an interactive map shows all station locations and charger types.
Ride Share
Looking for a ride that’s both convenient and climate-conscious? Uber makes it easy to choose an electric vehicle with its Uber Green option. Just enter your destination, then tap to request an EV. It’s often the same or cheaper price than a standard ride. Uber has committed to a 100% zero-emissions fleet by 2040, and every electric ride helps move things in that direction.
Bus
Middleton is part of the Metro Transit bus system, served primarily by routes F and R2. Single rides cost $2, with day passes available for $5. A third of Metro’s buses are fully electric, saving an estimated 250,000 gallons of diesel annually. Plan a trip, view bus schedules, and track real-time locations using the Metro Transit website or app.
Sustainable Shopping
Buying secondhand keeps items out of landfills and reduces the need for new resources. Check out these secondhand shops in Middleton:
- Yada Fair Trade and Resale – Shop gently used clothing, furniture, household items, and fair-trade artisan goods. Store profits support Yada's mission to empower women affected by trafficking.
- Simply Savvy – A luxury consignment store offering stylish secondhand furniture, home décor, clothing, and more.
- Goodwill – A long time leader in reuse and waste reduction, with more than 120 years of giving items a second life.
Sustainable Attractions
Capital Brewery and Bier Garten
Capital Brewery follows a simple yet powerful philosophy: “Do what’s right. Seek out every improvement. For the customer. The community. The world around us,” according to its website. Sustainability touches every part of the operation. The brewery has replaced its boiler, upgraded its refrigeration system, and installed a new kegging machine with a water recovery feature that is then repurposed to clean used kegs. Even the brewing process has changed. Producing one pint of beer now takes just 7 pints of water, down from 12. The brewing process produces nearly 1 million pounds of spent grain per year. Their solution? Capital Brewery works with a local farmer who uses that grain to feed their herd of cattle.
Holy Wisdom Monastery
Holy Wisdom Monastery centers its mission around environmental stewardship. This LEED Platinum-certified building features a 300 kW solar array and uses geothermal energy. As of 2025, the monastery has reached net-zero status, producing all of its energy onsite from renewable sources, the first retreat center in Wisconsin to do so. For 70 years, the Benedictine Sisters have cared for 130 acres of land, restoring prairie and savanna areas, woodlands, gardens, orchards, nature trails, and a nine-acre lake once buried by sediment from nearby farms and residential development. Visitors are welcome to explore the trails and see this conservation work firsthand.
City of Middleton: Leading by Example
Middleton isn’t just talking about sustainability — it’s on the forefront of change. Residents here made Middleton the first city in the nation to pass a referendum encouraging the use of a carbon fee to fight climate change. The sustainable mindset that is commonplace in the community is what helped the city earn LEED Gold certification in 2023 — the first municipality in Wisconsin to achieve this distinction (learn more here).
In 2024, Middleton kept the momentum going. The city planted 215 new trees, adopted a sustainable purchasing policy, and began building out expanded EV charging infrastructure. It also upgraded 27 affordable housing units, boosting energy efficiency while cutting utility costs for tenants.
Earth Day began 55 years ago in 1970, thanks to Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. He envisioned more than clean air, water and natural beauty; he called for “an environment of decency, quality, and mutual respect for all other human beings and all other living creatures.” That vision lives on today in Middleton, where sustainability is more than a goal, it’s a way of life.