Your community, the South Valley’s Atrisco neighborhood, is over 300 years old. Until the 1960’s the South Valley was an agricultural community, where people carried on the traditions of their ancestors, producing their food using the irrigation (acequia) system the community built over the years.

Our rich heritage of Hispanic culture is as enduring as the acequias. Traditions such as Quinceañeras, Matanzas, and Posadas are still alive and well in the South Valley.

Today, much of the agricultural heritage continues as many residents grow gardens, as well as beans, chilies, and alfalfa for market. County regulations allow residents to keep farm animals on their property.

Yet the South Valley stands at the crossroads: can it maintain semi-rural, agricultural identity, or will it be overcome by commercial developers to convert it into just another Albuquerque suburb? What will the South Valley look like in the year 2050? Will it be dominated by cottonwoods and alfalfa fields or subdivisions and strip malls?

We residents of the South Valley must make a choice. What is more important for us and our grandchildren: unrestrained development that brings profits to a few, or the preservation of an environment and culture that is very unique? It is our task to define a sustainable balance and to participate in the decision-making process.