In 1984, encouraged by the policies supporting individual initiatives in combating desertification, Shi resigned from his position as farm manager—a stable government job that guaranteed a living that referred to as an "iron rice bowl", relocated to the desert, and signed a contract with the local government to curb desertification and soil erosion on 3,000 mu of land, becoming the country's first farmer to undertake desert control efforts. Shi was convinced that without tackling desertification, poverty would persist; only by restoring the land and improving the environment could the root cause of poverty be addressed.

With the initial funding of 130,000 yuan ($18,200) for seedlings, which was painstakingly gathered by Shi and his six partner farmers, they planted drought-resistant willows and poplars on the contracted desert land. After a year of hard work and favorable rainfall, the survival rate of the saplings exceeded 85 percent. This initial success bolstered Shi's confidence.