Dedicated to the future of agriculture.
Sam Sparks III
Born a passionate farmer and rancher, Sam Sparks III leads the team at Farmers Crop as President and CEO. A third generation farmer in deep South Texas, Sam and his family know and love the land, both it’s bounty and it’s trials. As such, Sam brings a wealth of knowledge to the crop insurance industry and he is passionate about providing the best service to his peers.
Sam attended Abilene Christian University where he majored in business while playing baseball for ACU. He then attended Kansas State University where he earned his Masters Degree in Agribusiness. Sam’s favorite crop is cotton, ”from first bloom to full bloom then the smell of raw cotton in the field at harvest, it is my favorite.” Sam and his wife Shannon have three children; Eve, Mae, and Samuel IV. When Sam isn’t in the field or working cattle, he can be found on the baseball diamond coaching youth baseball.
Texas Farm Bureau - Outstanding Young Farmer and Rancher of the year 2013
Progressive Farmer – America’s Best Young Farmer and Rancher Award 2023
Cotton Incorporated Board of Directors (15 years)
National Sorghum Producers Legislative Committee (past)
Texas Soybean Board of Directors (present)
American Brahman Breeders Association Director (present)
Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers Board Advisor
Boys and Girls Club Harlingen – Advisory Board
PRESIDENT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Leidy Osborne
Leidy has been with Farmers Crop Insurance for over 30 years. She is passionate about serving the farmers and ranchers of Texas and builds true and lasting relationships with them all, often extending outside of the crop insurance business. Leidy appreciates the critical role ag producers play in feeding the world.
Leidy is extremely active in the First Church of the Nazarene where she is the President of the Ladies Ministry, serves on the church board, teaches Bible studies, and participates in local missionary work. Leidy and here husband, John David Osborne, Jr have two children, Ellie and John David, III. She loves spending time with family and friends and enjoys music and reading.
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Sara Contreras
Sara Contreras works in our Harlingen Office as a Multi-Peril Crop Insurance & Operations Specialist. She is from Edinburg, Texas. Sara loves helping customers with any and all crop insurance needs. Her favorite crop is citrus. Sarah and her husband Jorge have 3 children (Yanely, Jorge, and Stephanie) and a grandson, 5 year old Sebastian. When Sara isn’t helping farmers and ranchers at Farmer’s Crop Insurance, she’s dancing and spending time with her family.
MULTI-PERIL CROP INSURANCE & OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Bruce Hill
Bruce is from Stanton, Texas where he grew up on the family farm helping his dad from the age of 4 years old when he started chopping cotton. He was able to obtain his first land to farm at the age of 16. Upon graduating from Sands High School in Ackerly he married he wife Sandy. They have 2 children and 2 grandchildren. In 1986, Bruce started crop insurance adjusting to supplement his farming.
Then in 1993, Bruce decided to give up on the dream of farming the 1400 acres in dry west Texas and moved to Waco on a business adventure while continuing to adjust crops. Things did not go as planned in Waco so the family moved to Victoria in May of 1994 where Bruce worked as South Texas Supervisor of Crop Growers Insurance. In 1998, Bruce joined Farmers Crop Insurance and served as office manager up until July 2019. Bruce enjoys using his previous experience as a farmer and a crop adjuster to visit with his clients about their crop insurance needs.
MULTI-PERIL CROP INSURANCE SPECIALIST
Doug Hansen
Doug is a second generation farmer in the San Benito/Rangerville area who raised row crops and custom harvested throughout Texas and Arkansas. Doug attended Texas A&M University where he studied entomology, which has served him well as a farmer and after retirement from the farm, in crop insurance.
Doug has served the community as a board member of the Algodon Club, a past president of the Cameron County Farm Bureau, on the Cameron County Water Board, and on the ASCS/FSA Board of Directors. In his youth, Doug participated in the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show where he showed cattle. He continued this love for livestock as a 4-H leader and helping his daughters show pigs and cattle. This was a family activity and his grandchildren show at the RGVLS where Doug has been a familiar face for over 25 years.
Doug is a Deacon at Calvary Baptist Church where he has been a member for over 75 years. He serves on the Calvary Christian School Board and several other committees.
Doug has been married to Sharon Curry Hansen for 57 years and they have 3 daughters; Lisa Magree, Shelly Dooley, and Kristen Brogdon. They have 10 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.
Doug’s hobbies include hunting, saltwater fishing, and traveling.
MULTI-PERIL CROP INSURANCE SPECIALIST
Sarah Madrigal
Sarah Madrigal from Harlingen, TX serves as the Administrative Assistant in our Harlingen office. She loves greeting our farmers and ranchers and learning how much hard work and effort goes in to growing and harvesting crops.
Sarah worked for Cameron County for 8 years before she found her home at Farmers Crop where she loves the environment and people she works with. Sarah and her husband Carlos love working out, trying new healthy recipes and playing with Ozzy, their adorable Blue Heeler.
MULTI-PERIL CROP INSURANCE SPECIALIST & ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Miriam Aguilar
Miriam, from Los Fresnos, TX, works in our Harlingen Office as a Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Specialist. She comes from a family with farming roots in northern Mexico where she spent most of her summers as a kid and her uncle is custom harvester in the Rio Grande Valley.
Miriam loves working with agricultural producers because they are the most kind and humble. She loves working with production reporting for our farmers. Miriam has a daughter, Kaitlyn. She enjoys family BBQS on the weekends and lifting weights.
MULTI-PERIL CROP INSURANCE SPECIALIST
Barbara Pamplin
Barbara manages our Victoria office and supports farmers and ranchers in the surrounding area. She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the production agriculture business. Barbara has a combined total of 33+ years’ experience in the ag industry.
Having worked 15 ½ years with USDA/FSA (7 years in Jackson County & 8 years in DeWitt County) and 18 years with MPCI. From 2006 – 2009, Barbara worked part-time with Southwest Agribusiness Consulting assisting the site manager with making key marketing risk management decisions on behalf of the customers (including initiating sale contracts with buyers and put/call options contracts).
Barbara has always enjoyed working with farmers and ranchers and fully understands the physical, emotional, and financial stress that many face on a daily basis. She welcomes the opportunity to assist in alleviating some of their burden by assuring they have adequate levels of coverage, as well as timely filed reports for their operations.
Barbara has lived in the Victoria area her entire life. She and her husband Steven have two daughters, 9 grandchildren (God’s little blessings), and a sweet dog, Rocky.
MULTI-PERIL CROP INSURANCE & OPERATIONS SPECIALIST
Elizabeth Cowan Phillips
Liz Cowan Phillips grew up surrounded by multi-generational family farmland in Rio Hondo, Texas. Coming from a long line of county agricultural extension agents, Liz is dedicated to continuing her family’s legacy of service to the agricultural community.
After graduating from Texas A&M in 2010, Liz returned to the RGV to work in conjunction with Texas Department of Agriculture and Harlingen CISD feeding the area’s children healthy and locally sourced meals. She then worked as the HR Compliance Director for IDEA Public Schools. Liz serves on the Finance Board of the United Way of Cameron County and is a former President of the Junior League of Harlingen of which is now a sustaining member. Liz and her husband, Cody, serve together on the Algodon Board of Directors. They are currently building a home in Rio Hondo on farmland that has been in her family for 5 generations. Liz and Cody have three sons and too many dogs.
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER
Adan Martinez
Adan Martinez is a San Benito, Texas native who loves to connect with our farmers and learn more about how their operations play a role in the agricultural history of South Texas.
As migrant farmworker Adan’s travels took him to West Texas, Colorado, Nebraska and Michigan. Having worked in a cotton gin and the Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Program before, Adan joined Farmers Crop Insurance as our Drone/Mapping and Multi-Peril Crop Insurance Specialist. Adan has a degree in CADD and certification in MAIE and is critical to our Mapping and Digital Unit Division.
In his spare time, Adan loves to BBQ and weld.
MULTI-PERIL CROP INSURANCE SPECIALIST, MAPPING AND DRONE SPECIALIST
Maria Hroch
Maria started her journey in the agriculture industry 13 years ago. She is married to a 3rd generation farmer and blessed with 2 kids, James and Madison who want to be on a tractor all day.
Administrative Assistant