Samantha Nash

For people who raise chickens for themselves, the taste and texture of a recently collected egg is one of the perks.

In a highly connected age of smartphone shopping and new automated grocery delivery services, a trip to a local farmers' market can seem like an anachronistic journey to the past.

While it can be hard to pinpoint on the calendar, tree sap usually begins to flow when birds that have been away for the winter begin to return, daytime starts getting noticeably longer, and the extra sunshine prompts temperatures to surge above freezing.

Despite the universality of sleep, the purpose of this biological imperative remains somewhat shrouded in mystery.