A Basket Full of Hope: How Portland’s Indigenous-led Cully Farmers Market is Revolutionizing Food Access

On a warm Thursday afternoon in early July, a dozen people gather at the information booth of the Cully Farmers Market, lining up 20 minutes before the opening bell. They are here for the pahtl o’-pe-kwan program, a name from the Chinuk Wawa trade language that means “Full Basket”.

In a time of rising food costs and shrinking federal aid, this Indigenous-run farmers market in Northeast Portland’s Cully neighborhood is piloting a program that does more than just feed people; it offers them dignity, choice, and a connection to their community. Each week, hundreds of Portlanders are getting access to fresh, locally grown food while directly supporting the independent farmers who grow it.

At the heart of the program is its founder, S.A. Lawrence-Welch, the former Cully Farmers market manager (from 2023-2024), and a simple, yet radical, philosophy.

“How do you inject prosperity into a community by extracting from it?” Lawrence-Welch asks. “That is my motto.”

That principle has been the bedrock of the Cully Farmers Market since Lawrence-Welch and the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) revived it after a nearly two-year hiatus. To build a truly accessible space, she eliminated vendor fees and provided all the necessary equipment, from tents to tables — a significant barrier for small-scale producers.

A member of the Nêhiýaw (Plains Cree) and Michif (Métis) nations, Lawrence-Welch was driven to create a level playing field — a "Native-led space" where everyone, from the farmer to the shopper, could thrive.

“We’re just kind of trying to make this farmer’s market the most equitable place we can for people that may not have access to some of the other markets out there,” Lawrence-Welch said.

The pahtl o’-pe-kwan program itself was born, as Lawrence-Welch puts it, "accidentally." A separate department at NAYA, which operates the market, had funds earmarked for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, but the sign-up window had passed. They approached Lawrence-Welch, now an independent contractor, wondering what to do with the money so it wouldn't have to be returned.

“I was like, ‘Let me come up with a concept for you,’” she recalls.

Drawing on over 20 years of community work and her own lived experience receiving services, Lawrence-Welch designed the pahtl o’-pe-kwan program. In partnership with the Woodlawn and Rocky Butte Farmers Markets, the program provides participants with up to $25 in tokens per week at each of the three locations.

Unlike traditional food assistance, the eligibility is radically inclusive. It covers those on 19 different aid programs — like SNAP, WIC, and OHP — but also extends to elders and anyone simply declaring a one-time hardship.

“There are so many hardships right now, economically, for people,” Lawrence-Welch says. “Why do we have to make things more difficult and add more red tape and hoops for people to jump through? Honestly, like, ‘I’m in between a job,’ or ‘It’s just really hard this week.’ You can still access it.”

For shoppers, the impact is immediate and profound.

“I've been able to use [the tokens] for fresh fruits and vegetables, and that's been amazing and such a blessing,” says Lizzie, a resident of the nearby Mississippi neighborhood, holding a carton of fresh-picked berries. “It's nice to be able to participate in [the market] because I probably wouldn't be able to without the tokens.”

The program also serves as a critical safety net. Mary, a longtime North Portland resident and first-time market visitor, has been "pinching pennies" to make ends meet and is about to go on food stamps. A friend brought her to the market, where she learned about the program for the first time. For her, the existence of such a service is a tangible sign that her community cares.

The benefits ripple outward, creating a cycle of support. The tokens act like cash for vendors, providing a direct and substantial economic boost to small, local businesses.

“Last Thursday, I distributed $5,100 worth of tokens,” Lawrence-Welch says, a testament to the program's staggering success. This infusion of cash helps alleviate the immense pressures on small farms, allowing them to focus on what they do best: growing food for the community.

The program’s overwhelming popularity is both a success and a challenge. An initial grant intended to last from May through October, is being spent so quickly it will likely run out by the end of August. (The program started by offer $50 per person per market, but funds were limited to $25 per person for markets starting July 17.)

Lawrence-Welch is undeterred, already working to secure more funding to make the program a permanent fixture. She sees this pilot year as a powerful proof of concept and a catalyst for greater change.

“I want people to be inspired by this. I want people to be inspired and know that they can make a difference,” Lawrence-Welch says. “This is just a spark to a wildfire that’ll just keep burning until somebody tells us to put it out… a good controlled burn, so that the soil is prepared for a new crop.”

Happy saving!

Bryan M. Vance,
Founder/Publisher,
Stumptown Savings