PermaDynamics is a multigenerational family-run research farm and education centre based in Matapouri, Northland. Known as leading practitioners of syntropic agroforestry in Aotearoa, they combine forest succession dynamics with permaculture, biodynamics, and regenerative farming to rapidly rebuild soil, increase biodiversity, and produce abundant, high-density food systems.
Since arriving in Aotearoa in 2003, the family has transformed steep, degraded, compacted clay hillsides (previously grazed and kikuyu-dominated) into a thriving, human-inclusive sanctuary rich in birdlife and soil biology. Their main syntropic food forest spans around two acres and contains 350+ plant species, integrating fruit, nut, biomass, and native trees, with additional riparian plantings and temperate syntropic orchard systems across the property. Alongside the forest systems, PermaDynamics runs a no-till, organic market garden interwoven with syntropic tree rows, plus compost systems, mushroom production stations, a tree nursery, and on-farm infrastructure that supports education and practical land-based skills.
PermaDynamics is also an education hub, having taught 2,000+ students on-farm and online. They share applied, experience-led learning through workshops, courses, and a community membership that supports growers at every stage of their regenerative journey. For practitioners designing food forests, they created SAPP (Syntropic Agroforestry & Permaculture Planner), an interactive plant database and planning tool that helps match species to site conditions and system roles.
Produce and on-farm goods vary seasonally and may include tropical and subtropical crops (for example, bananas, tamarillos, citrus), specialty plants and nursery stock (including cuttings), ferments and preserved foods, and diverse market garden harvests. Their sales and outreach extend beyond the farm via local markets, online learning, and consultancy, with a strong emphasis on community resilience, knowledge sharing, and landscape regeneration.