Her Story
About Phylicia
Phylicia Barker is a commissioner for the Town of Stovall, North Carolina, where she represents the northern part of Granville County while continuing her work as a farmer, entrepreneur, and community leader. As the owner of Stovall Roadside Farmers’ Market and operator of the Barker Family Farm, she is dedicated to strengthening local agriculture through sustainable farming practices, including hydroponic lettuce production, mushroom cultivation, rotating crops across 25 acres, and raising beef cattle and chickens. Through her Farm to Fridge program, Barker provides fresh, locally grown products to restaurants, businesses, and families throughout the community. A lifelong advocate for agriculture and community development, Barker has built a diverse career spanning farming, politics, construction, marketing, and fashion. She began modeling internationally in 2013, earning magazine features and covers, and later was one of the faces of a makeup line in 2016. She also gained experience in construction and engineering, completing two years of construction engineering studies at Wake Tech and earning certifications in areas such as erosion control, safety, and traffic flagging. Her dedication to agriculture and innovation earned her recognition as Young Farmer of the day in North Carolina. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Barker is deeply committed to serving others and preserving her family’s legacy of leadership. Inspired by generations of public service—including her great-great-uncle, who was the first African American commissioner and mayor pro tem in her area, and her mother, who became the first African American woman commissioner locally—she continues to create opportunities for future generations. Through organizations such as HEAL, LIFE, and Unity in the Community, as well as community events like Easter Fun Day and Stovall Fun Day, Barker works to uplift those around her. She credits her success to showing up for others, recognizing her own worth, and confidently following her unique path despite challenges in traditionally male-dominated fields such as farming, politics, and construction.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Phylicia
01What do you attribute your success to?
My family's history of breaking barriers in the community, including my great-great-uncle as first African American commissioner and mayor pro tem, my mom as first African American woman, and my own experiences in student government and piloting programs.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Know your worth and follow your heart. If I didn't follow my heart, I wouldn't have landed back to where I'm at now, and if I didn't know my worth, I would have been just stagnant in a workforce.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Know yourself and step to the beat of your own drum. I was told I would never make it in modeling because I did not have the right features, never in construction because that's a man's world, not the best athlete, but I stepped to the beat of my own drum and proved them wrong.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The generation gap in farming, politics, and construction is the biggest challenge. The greatest opportunity is proving people wrong who said it wouldn't work, and seeing things succeed that I personally didn't think would.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Showing up for others. I realize not everybody's gonna show up for you the way you want them to, but if you show up for others the way that you want people to show up for you, you'll get so much out of it.
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