Friend,

I realize that most of these emails are pretty sour. This Congress and this country are facing serious challenges, and I’m always eager to share my work in fighting back against this lawless administration.

Today, I thought I’d try sending something sweet for a change. Did you know that Connecticut hosts an annual Maple Syrup Weekend? Right here in Fairfield County, you and your family can visit local sugar houses and watch as sap is tapped from maple trees and boiled down into delicious syrup. Maple Syrup Weekend is March 21st and 22nd - not too far away!

We all need hobbies outside of politics, and I’ve thrown myself into tapping my own trees for the past few years. Doing so has given me a serious admiration for the care and attention that goes into every bottle of syrup. I tap the trees around March, then boil the sap down for hours to remove most of the water. Eventually, the sugars concentrate and thicken into the stuff we love to put on pancakes.

So here’s how you can celebrate the weekend in Fairfield County: the Stamford Museum and Nature Center makes maple syrup from more than 200 maple trees on its campus. The Trumbull Nature and Arts Center hosts demonstrations of the sugaring process, including tapping the sap from the maple tree and then watching water evaporate over an enormous fire pit. Ambler Farm in Wilton also taps their trees and sells great local syrup, as does the New Canaan Nature Center. In New Canaan, you can take part in a real versus fake syrup test.

Look, these are tough times. We all need a little sweetness in life. Much like progress in politics, the sugaring process requires dedication, patience, and attention to detail. Congress could certainly learn a thing or two from our local maple syrup producers. I hope I’ll see you out there on Maple Syrup weekend.

— Jim