Killiecrankie Farm helps people go carbon-free this Christmas

As the owner of Tasmania's first "pick-your-own" Christmas tree operation, Mrs Adamson-Ringk is hard at work preparing trees for the farm's first open day of the festive season this weekend.

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Each year people from around the state descend on Killiecrankie Farm to pick out and cut down their own Christmas tree, opting to ditch the common artificial tree for a renewable, biodegradable equivalent.

And according to Mrs Adamson-Ringk, there are more environmental reasons to choose a locally grown tree this Christmas.

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"The trees we sell are around three to five years old. By that point, they've sequestered about four tonnes of carbon," she said.

"Then, when you're done with it, we will take the tree back, chip it and put it back in the soil to complete the carbon cycle."

On top of the farm's carbon-associated benefits, the planted forest also provides a habitat for native wildlife like bandicoots and owls - and the operation is continuing to get greener each season.

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"We've now converted nearly all of our equipment to electric, which is fed from solar panels," she said.

But growing Christmas trees in the changeable climate of Northern Tasmania is quite a task for a small agro-forestry business like Killiecrankie Farm.

The farm plants around 1000 trees each rotation but with high winds, heavy rain events and snap weather changes common, yields can fall into low hundreds.

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"In 2016 we had a toppling event and lost 60 per cent of our crop across three rotations. We've been trying to recover ever since and just trying to get our numbers back up again," Mrs Adamson-Ringk said.

Despite the challenges, however, Mrs Adamson-Ringk loves her work.

"We've had people with us now for nearly 10 years, who keep coming back and they're bringing their grandkids back. It's just beautiful, that's why we keep doing it," she said.

When asked how buyers should look after the trees once back home, Mrs Adamson-Ringk had three words: water, water, water.

"Don't let them dry out. From the minute you get home there can't be any delay. If they dry out they form a sap ring on the bottom and it stops them drawing water up. If you can keep them watered, they'll last for four to six weeks," she said.

Killiecrankie Farm will open its gates to customers between 10am and 2pm on Saturday, November 27. Further information is available at killiecrankie-farm.com.

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