Ag Service Award

Randy and Paula Bigger Receive Ag Service Award

Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau

Since 1992, Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau has presented an Ag service award to an individual who has been a great supporter of agriculture and given unselfishly in an effort to help others in our agriculture community. 

The Warren-Henderson Farm Bureau is honored to recognize a couple that has been farming and serving the agriculture industry for most of their lives and present them with the 2026 Ag Service Award: Randy and Paula Bigger.

Randy was raised on the farm that he and Paula still live on today. He started his farming career at 5 years old when his Uncle Cyrus put wood blocks on the tractor pedals so Randy could reach them to pull the hay rack through the field. 

Randy grew up watching his dad, Reldon, farm and he listened and learned everything he could from him. Paula worked selling insurance for 30 years while helping on the farm. 

She currently has her dream job at Schar’s Veterinary Clinic where she gets to be around animals she loves. 

Paula says her favorite place to be is in the barns during calving and lambing season. Together, Randy and Paula have raised 3 sons on the farm and now are blessed with grandkids who love running the pastures and playing with the calves and lambs. 

Outside of farming, Randy has served on many boards over the years including, Tri-County Cattlemens, the Stronghurst Grain Board of Trustees, and the Henderson County Fair Board.

 He was honored a few years ago at the Illinois State Fair for his years of service to the Henderson County 4-H as he was inducted into the Illinois 4-H Hall of Fame. He cooked the chicken for the 4-H barbecue for 35 years.

When asked their favorite part of working in the Ag industry, Randy and Paula state that they love sharing it, whether that’s with Randy’s parents Reldon and Norma, or with their own children and grandchildren. Paula also uses social media to share about their life and farming family. She doesn’t hold back, staying true and sharing the good, bad, ugly, happy, and sad. 

She says this can get her into trouble with Randy and the boys, but she shares photos, stories, and poems she’s written about what goes into farming. 

She intimately knows the hard work, determination, knowledge, and love that goes into a family farm operation, and she wants to keep that memory and legacy alive for their future generations and the world to look back on. Paula told quite the story for her favorite Ag story to share, and it’s one most farm wives could relate to. When her and Randy married, it was with a $300 wedding ring. 

Paula loved it, but Randy always said “When we’re married for 25 years, I’m gonna buy you a rock it takes two hands to carry.” Well, on their 25th wedding anniversary Paula pulled in the driveway to see Randy waiting for her and he said “Baby, you know what today is! Shut your eyes and give me your hand.” 

Paula was excited, she thought after all these years that he’d really done it! Randy said, “Keep your eyes shut, we have to take a couple of steps.” Paula walked about 10 steps forward and Randy turned her a little before telling her to open her eyes.

In front of Paula was the biggest, darkest, most handsome bull she’d ever seen. Randy hugged her tight and said “Baby, it was a ring or the bull…and the farm really needed the bull. I named him The Rock and it really will take you 2 hands to carry him.” Paula knew right then that Randy was hugging her so tight so that she couldn’t get a good hit in!

These days you can find Randy and Paula following their granddaughters’ ball teams wherever they go as their number one fans. Paula enjoys reading and gardening and they both love being in the barn with their boys.

Randy and Paula have spent the majority of their lives immersed in agriculture, working the land, being great neighbors, and bolstering the next generations in agriculture. We’re thankful for their dedication to rural living and their ability to share their story about a true farm family. We are honored to present this year’s Ag Service Award to: Randy and Paula Bigger.