Robyn Brown, is a 10th generation farmer, and fifth generation urban farmer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Educated at the University of Wisconsin, she holds a BS in Chemistry, BA for Print Journalism and Marketing, MS for Mass Communications, and is currently working on her PhD. The beautiful soon to be Dr.Robby [@holistictrapmami on IG] is passionate about making science, wellness and healing more accessible to the community.

As is true for many Black and Indigenous people in the Americas, Robyn’s own family were displaced or dispossessed from ancestral lands, weakening the connection between earth and body. 

Only 4 generations before her, her great grandfather Rufus and his family were uprooted from their land in Gainesville, Louisiana, or face death at the hands of a white lynching mob. Now, she’s coming back for everything that was taken from her and her ancestors. Her mission is to repurchase every piece of land that her family members were born on, in pursuit of fully reclaiming their connection to the earth.

Growing up in the garden with her Jama sparked her passion for science, herbalism, and farming. Journal at her side, young Robby was always asking questions, ready to transcribe the generational knowledge being handed down. She wanted to know the science behind herbalism. Why does smelling an alcohol pad help with nausea? Why does a foot soak with epson salt alleviate back pain? A true STEM kid, she decided to dress up as George Washington Carver for Halloween, even when her mom preferred she be a princess. 

Many of the people that she grew up gardening with in Milwaukee were formerly incarcerated or low-income folks with limited access to fresh foods to feed their family. Beginning with her undergraduate program in 2007, Robby’s research looked at marketing as it relates to food apartheid and the direct affects on underserved communities such as poor physical and mental health, low literacy rates, and increased crime. In her masters program (2014), she expanded her research to incorporate the benefits of plant medicine, as alcohol and drug use were identified as self-medicating measures for students on her campus. Her passion sparked the interest of academic leaders that later tasked her with presenting this knowledge at campuses across the UW system. She was able to lean deeper into her research while teaching her peers about herbalism.

Robbie went on to be a Regulatory Writer for a pharmaceutical company writing complex Package Inserts. During her tenure there, she was also responsible for advising on the safety of various drugs. When she made scientific recommendations to pull back a drug or delay it’s release, it was obvious that the pharmaceutical companies were not willing to risk their profits for safety issues they weren’t even required to report on. Robby knew she had to get out of this type of environment. She also knew that she had to get back to the basics- healing with plants. After all, plants are essential to the creation of many synthetic medications.

Today, Robyn Lockett Brown is a shining disciple of Carver’s work as a botanist and educator. Focusing on holistic wellness and social impact, she blends her background in science and communications to create spaces where people can learn about herbs, grow their own food, and reconnect with natural healing practices. Through her work, she’s supported hundreds of families in building communities around food systems, and providing hands-on experiences that bring plant science to life.

Her business, Trap Naturals Holistic Medicine, began unexpectedly. “Trap medicine was derived from helping my son who had eczema. As a chemical engineer and a botanist scientist, I kind of experimented a lot with different skincare items for him- what he washed [his body] with, what we wash his clothes with, what we put on his skin, and how we helped his gut health. So we would make the medicine, and would always sing a song to make taking medicine more fun.” Robby even went the extra mile to create custom labels featuring remixed lyrics to hip hop songs corresponding to the ailments they targeted. It wasn’t long before others in the community began requesting her assistance in healing with natural remedies. 

“I didn’t think of making this a company at first, until a lot more people were asking ‘Do you have anything for this ailment?’, or ‘Every time I see you always got your little medicine cabinet in your purse’ – so it became a thing. How can we use plants instead of reaching for over-the-counter medicines [people] don’t really know much about?”

We got the opportunity to meet her at one of the school gardens she built at John T White Elementary School in Fort Worth. In the gardens, she teaches the basics of urban gardening, from the lifecycle of the plant, to testing soil quality. In addition to the school gardens, Robby leads community garden days at Highland Hills Community Center, and travels to provide educational workshops, all while accepting speaking engagements in spaces like the New Earth Conference 2025.

In an era where we are more disconnected from nature than ever before, Robby’s work deserves our attention and support. Accessibility to fresh food and herbs is critical for our wellbeing, and Robby wants everyone to know that we are empowered to take our wellbeing into our own hands. You don’t need state-of-the-art equipment to get started; the DFW community has opportunities to learn and expand on urban gardening around every corner. Don’t have much space? Opt for unconventional planters like landry baskets or pillow cases. What’s important, is the intentionality. “We have never needed permission to heal ourselves.”- Robyn Brown

Tap in with Robyn Brown on instagram at @theholistictrapmamami