Three generations turn desert fight into a green legacy in Gansu

For more than four decades, three generations of workers at Babusha Forest Farm in Wuwei, Gansu province, have been fighting to turn the once-barren land into a green barrier along the southern edge of the Tengger Desert.

In 1981, facing sand that was advancing toward villages and farmland at about 7.5 meters a year, six local farmers, including Guo Chaoming, established the Babusha collective forest farm and began their fight against the desert with little more than straw, saplings, and determination.

"When the wind blew, sand got into our mouths and eyes," recalled Guo Wangang, Guo Chaoming's son. "We could barely keep our food clean."

The encroaching dunes had swallowed up farmland and villages year after year. The situation was immediate and pressing. "When [my father and the others] put their fingerprints on the contract to establish the forest farm," Guo said, "they had just one thought: 'We have to hold back the sand to protect our home.'"

The six men lived in makeshift shelters and survived on dry food. With little experience and few resources, they relied on planting trees and laying down straw barriers to keep the sand from being blown away.

"I grew up watching my father fight the desert," said Guo, who later became a second-generation sand-control worker. He eventually left his job at a local supply cooperative and joined the forest farm.

For decades, the second generation stayed on the frontline while developing more effective ways to control the desert. One innovation was a grid-shaped "double-eyebrow" straw barrier designed to reduce wind erosion and retain moisture.

Today, the third generation is bringing technology into the fight. Guo Wangang's nephew, Guo Xi, returned to Babusha in 2016 after working away from home. Drones, digging machines, and other equipment have since become part of the forest farm's daily operations.

Smart irrigation is another dramatic change. Water from a 500,000-cubic-meter reservoir is delivered through pipelines directly to tree roots, while a digital system adjusts irrigation according to the needs of different plants.

As of now, the forest farm has completed desert control and afforestation across roughly 32,000 hectares, with vegetation coverage in the area rising to more than 70 percent, according to the local forestry and grassland authorities.

Beyond desert control, the forest farm has also developed forest-based industries, including Cistanche cultivation, goji and jujube plantations, and free-range chicken farming. The "Babusha" name has also been registered as a regional brand for several agricultural products.

"People are protecting the green landscape while also increasing their incomes," said Guo Xi, who also sells free-range chickens online.