Good Morning, Fitchrona!

Sure, Earth Day is officially April 22nd—but around here, we’re giving the planet a full week of love. This issue is packed with ways to green up your routine, from composting and cutting waste to responsibly ditching that old flip phone (RIP) and even going solar. Small steps, big impact. Let’s make Mama Earth proud.

The Focus is the highlight of your Monday morning - something you can enjoy in under 5 minutes with your coffee ☕︎ ! Let’s fill our cups!

-Liv - Fitchrona Focus Founder

Before we dive in, we’d love your feedback! We’re thinking of turning the newsletter into a podcast to allow people to listen to it on their drive to work. The written newsletter would still be here for everyone, we’d just have an audio option via podcast. What do you think?

LOCAL LOWDOWN

From Scraps to Soil: The Clean, Green Magic of Green Box

Green Box makes composting at home or for your business simple and clean!

Green Box offers their members 4-gallon buckets that they fill with food waste. They then collect that material every other week, and compost it at their facility in Sun Prairie where it is turned into nutrient dense compost, to go back to homes and growers in the Dane County area, completing the food cycle as it was meant to be. Each time they collect customers’ buckets they replace them with a fresh, clean bucket so that you can continue doing right by the planet without the mess.

Green Box has been keeping food scraps from becoming methane in landfills since 2022, when the company was founded with 25 residential members - collecting the food scraps in their founder’s Subaru. Since then, they have grown to a team of eight, and compost for over 1,000 residential members, and 40 businesses. Each week they keep over 20,000 pounds of food scraps from the landfill.

Come start your composting journey with us today! 

Use the discount code FOCUS for a free month ($26 off) of our basic service!

Find them at www.withgreenbox.com 

♻️ Electronics Recycling Event – April 26 in Mount Horeb!

Got old gadgets lying around? Bring them to the Electronics Recycling Event hosted by Resource Solutions Corp on Saturday, April 26th, from 8 AM to 12 PM at the Intermediate Center Bus Lot (1382 E. Garfield St., Mount Horeb).

Most small electronics—like phones, laptops, and tablets—can be dropped off for free! (There’s just a small fee for larger appliances.)

Let’s keep e-waste out of the landfill and give our old tech a new life.
Heads up: Batteries and light bulbs won’t be accepted here, but you can still drop those off at their Madison location.
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Earth Week Win-Win from Valor Curl

This April, Valor Curl is helping you clean up your routine and give back. Bring in up to 5 gently used hair or body products (any brand, 50% full or more), and you’ll get 10% off new ones. Donated items will support students in need at Middleton High School. Less waste, more heart.

New Solar Power in Fitchburg!

Back in January, it was announced that Fitchburg is partnering with Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) to support cleaner energy use—and now, that partnership is shining bright! The new Strix Solar Project, located near Byrne and Syene Roads, is officially up and running.

This 6-megawatt solar array will generate enough carbon-free electricity to power about 1,400 homes each year. Two-thirds of the energy will go to all MGE electric customers, while the remaining third is planned for a new community solar option called Shared Solar – Strix. If approved, residents could subscribe to the program, lock in a stable rate, and get up to 50% of their electricity from the sun.

This is a big step forward in MGE’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon electricity by 2050—and a great example of local partnerships making a difference.

Learn more or join the Shared Solar waitlist at mge.com/sharedsolar
Full article here.

In case you wanted to know, we just signed up to get on the Shared Solar waitlist and cannot wait!

Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day — and Shop Sustainably!

April 26, 2025 is Independent Bookstore Day, and Dane County is showing up big. Eleven indie bookstores across the Dane County area are teaming up for one epic day of literary love—think raffle prizes, exclusive deals, and a free commemorative art print by local teen artist Stella Balsley. You could even score a Golden Ticket for free audiobooks from Libro.fm!

Buying from local bookstores doesn’t just support your neighbors—it’s also better for the planet. Unlike mega online retailers (ahem, Amazon), indie shops keep packaging waste and transportation emissions low.

Support your community and feed your mind at these indie bookstores:

• A Room of One’s Own (Madison)

• Kismet Books (Verona)

• Lake City Books (Madison)

• Leopold’s Books Bar Caffè (Madison)

• Mystery To Me (Madison)

• The Book Deal (Madison)

• Paul’s Book Store (Madison)

• Browzer’s Bookshop (Madison)

• Peaceful Heart Gifts & Books (Oregon)

• Madison Paperbacks (Madison)

• Ink & Ivy Book Boutique (Madison)

Grab a book, a print, and maybe a prize or two—and celebrate the joy of shopping local!

HAPPENINGS

There are too many events to feature here! Check out FitchronaFocus.com for all happenings!

Starting next week - we’ll feature ~30 events in the newsletter & the rest can be found on the events calendar, so be sure to bookmark it here!

• Monday, April 21st

  • ☕ 8:00 am - Free Coffee & Conversations for Veterans with Deb Lins Opening Doors Together LLC @ Cambridge Market

  • 🗑️ 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm - Do More Trash Bash 2025 @ Monona Parks & Recreation

  • 🍺 4:00 pm - Industry Night @ Delta Beer Lab

  • 🍺 6:00 pm - Music Open Mic @ Delta Beer Lab

  • 🩺 6:00 pm - Shop for a Cause - ARC Outpatient Services @ Thistle & Elm Boutique

  • 🍷 6:00 pm - 9 pm - Wine & Whiskey Mixer with a Silent Auction with Edge Baseball @ 5th Quarter Bar & Grill

• Tuesday, April 22nd

  • 🌎 Earth Day - Volunteer Based Event @ Lussier Family Heritage Center & Dane county Parks

  • 🌎 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm - Earth Day Clean Up - Put on By Norah’s Giving Heart @ A.O. Paunack Park

  • 🍺 6:00 pm - Vinyl Night @ Delta Beer Lab

• Wednesday, April 23rd

  • 🔪 5:30 pm - Knife Skills with Nicole Bujewski @ The Book Kitchen

  • 🎵 7:00 pm - Live Music: Rich Uncle Willy @ Paddy Mac’s

  • 🚲 7:00 pm - Driving Federal Bike Safety Legislation @ Machinery Row Bicycles

• Thursday, April 24th

  • 🎨 2025 Business of Art Conference: Artists at Work — Minding Your Own Business @ Arts + Literature Laboratory

  • 🧵 3:00 pm - Queer (and Ally) Crafting Night @ Sow’s Ear

  • 👢 5:00 pm - Fashion Show @ Isaac’s Antiques

  • 🍺 5:30 pm - Beer @ Cheese Dinner with Carr Valley Cheese @ Vintage Brewing Company Sauk Prairie

  • 👟 6:15 pm - Fleet Feet Pub Run @ Rusty Bee

  • 🎵 7:00 pm - Live Music: Timmy D @ Paddy Mac’s

• Friday, April 25th

  • 🎵 Live Music: Richardson Acoustic @ Lake Louie Brewing

  • 🍷 4:00 pm - Wine Walk Monroe @ Main Street Monroe, WI

  • 🎵 6:00 pm - Blues in the Barn Dance with Live Music: The Grouvin Brothers @ Four Winds Farm

  • 🌕 8:00 pm - Full Moon Night Creature Search @ Lussier Family Heritage Center

• Saturday, April 26th

  • 💻 8:00 am - Electronics & Appliance Recycling Event - Resource Solution Corp @ Mount Horeb

  • 🚲 9:00 am - River Ride Charity Bike Ride @ River Food Pantry

  • 🍽️ 10:00 am - 2025 Farm & Food Tour (Check out our article on Savor the River Valley)

  • 🌱 10:00 am - 4:00 pm - Sprout Spring Market @ Warm Belly Farm

  • 🍵 10:00 am - 5:00 pm - Make & Take Herbal Tea Blending @ Telsaan Tea

  • 🎵 6:00 pm - Live Music: David Mazzie @ Bodihow Brewing Co.

  • 🎵 7:00 pm - Live Music: Dawg Bones @ Paddy Mac’s

• Sunday, April 27th

  • 🪨 9:30 am - Learn to Geocache @ Lussier Family Heritage Center

  • 👟 10:00 am - Family Adventure Club (Donation Based) put on by Hike & Heal @ Olson Oak Woods State Natural Area

  • 🌱 10:00 am - 4:00 pm - Sprout Spring Market @ Warm Belly Farm

  • 🍵 11:00 am - 3:00 pm - Make & Take Herbal Tea Blending @ Telsaan Tea

  • 🧵 2:00 pm - Sit & Stitch @ Bad Art Co.

Key - * indicates event is recurring

MAKER FEATURE

This week’s maker feature is Lithe, creator of MoonFire Candle Co.

After a season of big life changes—welcoming a child, moving to a new town, and shifting careers—Lithe channeled her creativity into something that always felt soulful: candle making. The result? MoonFire Candle Co.

Each candle is hand-poured in small batches using a soy, coconut, and beeswax blend, with bold, unique scents crafted from clean, non-toxic fragrance oils. No headaches, no harsh chemicals—just mood-setting aromas that are safe for you and the environment.

Lithe also sources components locally whenever possible, supporting Wisconsin-based suppliers. The eclipse in her logo symbolizes the very heart of MoonFire: change, renewal, and the power of scent memory.

Catch MoonFire Candle Co. starting in May at the Verona Farmers Market (Wednesdays) and Paoli Farmers Market (Sundays)!

Know a local maker who should be featured - submit here!

CHECK IT OUT

This week we think you should check out Little Creek Press.

We publish a diverse range of books that celebrate Wisconsin and we pride ourselves on making the publishing process easy.

Our services are partnership-driven and include editing, full book design, ebooks, ISBN, barcode, global distribution, and beyond.

With over a decade of proven results (and over 200 books), we strive to provide authors with empathetic support, knowledgeable guidance, a stress-free experience, and tailored strategies that help transform their stories into books.

Our mission is to celebrate Wisconsin by supporting a community of inspired authors by bringing their stories to life. Our vision is to remain a trusted independent publishing partner for passionate Wisconsin storytellers.

Know a place that we should check out? Submit it here.

NEIGHBORHOOD DEAL

Senior & Veteran Thursdays at Vitruvian

Every Thursday, seniors and veterans are invited to The Store at Vitruvian for free coffee and 5% off all goods as a small thank-you for their service and wisdom.

The farm store is open Wednesday–Saturday, 9am–6pm, and Sunday, 9am–3pm, at 2727 US Hwy 51, McFarland. Enter via the Tower Road driveway for a peaceful visit right on the farm.

THANK YOU!

Thanks for reading the Fitchrona Focus today! If you found something useful, please share it with someone who wants to start composting!

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