Gone are the days when watching what you eat means starving yourself on some fad diet. In recent years, mega-retailers such as Wild Oats and Whole Foods have put organic foods in the public eye. But now the little guys, like Barb and John Hoffman, are getting in on the sustainable-grocery biz. In 1995, the Hoffmans started their own green market in Wichita; last year, their daughter, Shannon, opened the family's second store in Briarcliff. Like its big-name counterparts, Green Acres has the fancy ready-to-go deli, an array of organic produce, and all the bulk goods and packaged items that you won't find in Hy-Vee's token natural-foods market. But Green Acres also offers "local nights" on Tuesday, when foodies can meet area farmers and manufacturers; a monthly newsletter with personal insights from the Hoffmans themselves; and even little tags that point out Shannon's favorite items in the snack aisle. Green Acres is like going to the local coffeehouse instead of Starbucks. It just feels closer to home.