We’re looking forward to introducing you to Julius Buzzard. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Julius, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
My mornings start with motion. I usually hit a three-mile run, sometimes racing the sunrise, sometimes just racing myself. Then it’s 10–30 minutes of CrossFit, pushing muscles and willpower alike. After that, I slide into the kitchen, whip up breakfast, and make sure my family is set for the day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I work at the intersection of food, land, and community, helping people reclaim control over what they grow, cook, and share. Our work focuses on building local trust, regenerating heirloom seed systems, and supporting grassroots growers. What makes it unique is that it’s not top-down; it’s co-created with the communities whose lives it touches. Learning, planting, and strategizing alongside people who know that food justice is inseparable from land justice.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I believed I was limited, that the world, or the people around me, set the ceiling for how far I could go. Over time, I learned those limits weren’t mine to inherit; they were meant to be challenged, stretched, and broken. I realized my reach is defined not by others’ expectations, but by my own courage and persistence. That shift made me see the world as soil: something you can cultivate, expand, and transform if you’re willing to get your hands dirty.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
I stopped hiding my pain after high school, when I got into college. By then, I had already done things I’d been told, or thought myself, that I could never do. That’s when I began to recognize the power in my own resilience and started to feel a little unstoppable. Pain wasn’t something to hide anymore; it became the fuel that carried me forward.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would say what really matters to me is integrity; showing up fully for my people, my principles, and the land. They’d say I care deeply about family, collective well‑being, and building systems that last beyond any one person. At the end of the day, it’s about leaving places and people stronger than I found them.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Could you give everything your best, even if no one ever praised you for it?
Yes. I’m not doing this for myself; I’m doing it for my family and my community. I’m doing it so the folks who look like me, who want to belong, never have to wonder if they do. Every effort, every long day, every small win becomes part of a foundation they can stand on so the next generation can reach further than I ever could.
Image Credits
Misty Lyn Bergeron
