Colostrum, the first milk produced after a calf is born, is valued in farming circles for its concentration of naturally occurring proteins, peptides, antibodies, growth factors, vitamins and minerals.
“It is one of the most nutrient-dense ingredients that mammals produce,” Sarah Kirkland said.
Elm Lab’s formulations contain colostrum at levels that are uncommon within the skincare industry, she said, accounting for about 72% of the finished product.
“Most skincare products market one hero ingredient that is not [present] in meaningful levels. In our products, the colostrum is doing 90% of the heavy lifting.”
The idea for the business emerged after the birth of the couple’s middle child, who experienced severe skin sensitivities.
Looking for products she felt comfortable using on her own family, Kirkland investigated the potential of colostrum-based skincare and making the products herself.
Looking abroad
Elm Lab invested heavily in European testing, with its products undergoing dermatological assessment and its baby range receiving paediatrician testing.
“We knew we were coming out as a new brand with a new ingredient and we wanted that validation ourselves.”
Customer demand has helped drive rapid growth.
Elm Lab products are stocked by Baby On The Move New Zealand, with launches planned at Auckland Duty Free and one of Australia’s premium baby retailers.
The company is also seeing increasing demand from overseas customers, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States, so Elm Lab is also eyeing future opportunities in those markets.
Kirkland said the company’s research found that searches for colostrum skincare in the US had increased by 256% since 2024.
A family business
For the Kirklands, the business is built on more than 170 years of family history.
William’s ancestors arrived from Scotland in the 1850s, first making money in the Australian goldfields before purchasing the Taieri Plains farm.
Elm Labs co-founders Sarah and William Kirkland. Photo / Biddi Rowley
The property has remained in family ownership ever since.
The family’s history includes stories of floods that once engulfed the property, forcing earlier generations to evacuate by boat.
At times, floodwaters covered so much of the surrounding area that milk had to be rowed to the railway station for transport.
Family records also detail the arrival of steam plough engines imported from Scotland and demonstrations that drew attention in local newspapers.
The farm’s original homestead, built by the family after arriving in New Zealand, stood for generations before being destroyed by fire.
Elm Lab co-founder Sarah Kirkland went from corporate lawyer to skin care entrepreneur along with her husband Will.
Today, the homestead’s image features in Elm Lab’s branding alongside references to Elm Grove, the family farm named for the elm and oak trees planted by earlier generations.
“It is a beautiful farm. Everything is green, and there is this incredible sense of history.”
Family records also document generations of innovation, including ancestors who helped introduce mechanical milking technology and new farming machinery.
“There has always been this history of bringing something new into farming. This is our chapter.”
Today, the 333-hectare farm milks about 550 cows.
The Kirklands produce all supplementary feed on-farm and operate what Kirkland describes as a low-footprint, grass-fed system.
“We only milk what we can produce on our own farm.”
Elm Lab invested heavily in European testing, with its products undergoing dermatological assessment and its baby range receiving paediatrician testing. Photo / Greta van der Star
The farm’s history remains central to the brand, from the mature elm and oak trees planted by earlier generations to packaging inspired by the property’s heritage.
For Kirkland, the opportunity extends beyond a single business.
“We have beautiful green pastures, an incredible farming story and an incredible product.”
As Elm Lab expands into new markets and develops additional products for babies, children and adults, she believes New Zealand’s agricultural reputation could help open doors in the global skincare industry.
“We’ve always had global ambitions.”
The other businesses that won a Fieldays Innovation Award are Wellington-based Enivo, Cambridge-based Scanabull, Hamilton’s elert and Trussed Systems from Waihi Beach.
Enivo won the Young Innovator of the Year Award for biodegradable plant pots made from New Zealand forestry and primary industry waste.
Scanabull won the Prototype Award for a phone app that delivers live cattle weights.
elert EQ won the Early-Stage Award for their wearable health monitoring device for horses, while Trussed Systems won the Growth & Scale Award for their Truss House Portal Frame.
Fieldays visitors can vote for the People’s Choice Award recipient until tomorrow.
Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. Before he joined the Hamilton-based team, he worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive. He previously worked as a journalist at Black Press Media in Canada and won a fellowship with the Vancouver Sun.