Want To Buy Grain? Joseph Is Your Man.

Joseph Billett

President

Joseph’s family is from Milden, SK, where the Billett Family Farm is located.  His dad, who was the only sibling of 5 to leave the farm, was stationed on Vancouver Island after joining the navy. A couple years after Joseph was born, the family relocated to Alberta, settling in Agfinity’s future hometown headquarters in Stony Plain.

When referring to his better half Amy, Joseph truly means it. Married in the spring of 2004, the family blossomed with the additions of three children, Hannah, Truett and Samuel.  They love adventuring, and spend as much time as they can inside their RV and by the ocean on regular trips to Tofino, BC.

Joseph has been in the agriculture and grain marketing industry for 10 years. He loves crafting vison and working with his team to move Agfinity forward! His role includes working with Feedlots, Grain Companies and Feed Mills, spending much of his time hunting the best grain buying opportunities on Agfinity.com.

For fun, Joseph competes in powerlifting and Strongman. Whether he’s helping a teammate reach a bench press milestone, or a grain buyer cover in a load of barley, building strong relationships, professionally and personally is his daily passion.

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Amy Billett

Co-owner / Financial Controller

Amy was born and raised in Abbotsford, BC, spending much of her time on her grandparents’ and uncle’s dairy farms. At the age of 14, she and her family traveled north to Dawson Creek, BC, where she stayed until graduation.

Amy’s love for animals meant many hours, days, months and years volunteering and working at a local veterinary clinic. In September 1998, she headed off to Edmonton and Spruce Grove to attend the University of Alberta where she graduated in the Spring of 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, as well as a Degree in Animal Science. Amy has been working in the agriculture industry ever since!

Amy married her true love, Joseph, in 2004. They now have three growing children, Hannah, Truett and Samuel. Between the three busy kiddos and working in the Agfinity offices, Amy has had no choice but to master her time management skills! Luckily for her, being busy is her specialty!
…But that’s not to say, she doesn’t enjoy taking a little time here and there with her family and extended family! Amy enjoys camping in the mountains and taking trips to her favourite place, Tofino, BC.

Amy also enjoys woodworking and decorating cakes, often tying up a bay in the garage or the kitchen for extended periods of time. But nobody’s complaining when Amy’s in the kitchen!! And if they did, it would be wise to remember that Amy’s husband is a powerlifter…

Amy has been involved with Agfinity from day one and loves working with the entire Agfinity team. She runs the accounts and logistics departments, aiming to ensure everyone’s grain gets where its supposed to go.

Erin Harakal

Trade Manager – Alberta (Red Deer North – Vegreville West), Saskatchewan

Erin is from Warburg Alberta, where she was born and raised on her family farm. This farm consists of grain and hay land, with her parents raising purebred and commercial Simmental cattle. Her Great Grandfather started the family farm in the 1930’s when he moved to Canada. The family farm consists of Erin’s Grandpa, her dad, two uncles and their families, where they all work together to have a successful operation.

Growing up in the agriculture industry and being heavily involved in 4-H helped drive Erin towards an ag career. In the spring of 2017, Erin graduated from Olds College with a diploma in Agriculture Management with a major in Marketing. After attending school, Erin knew she wanted to help farmers get the best experience possible when it came to marketing there commodities. This is what drew Erin to Agfinity.

When Erin is not at Agfinity, she can be found helping on the family farm or hanging with her parents’ purebred and commercial cattle preparing for shows.

Ashley Tompkins

Trader – Alberta (Red Deer South – Vegreville East)

Ashley is originally from Calgary where she lived until her husband whisked her away to the Peace Country. Ashley and her husband lived on an acreage northwest of Peace River, Alberta for 8 years, where she worked for Northern Sunrise County in many roles, including as the Economic Development Officer. She fell in love with being a country girl and living the rural lifestyle.

In a quest for new opportunities and to be closer to family Ashley and her husband moved south, where they have settled on an acreage near Carvel, Alberta and welcomed their son, Wilder. In her spare time Ashley enjoys gardening, canning, baking, fishing, cross country skiing and spending time outdoors with her friends and family.

Although Ashley enjoys spending time at home with her son, she was eager to get back to work and be part of a team again. Ashley was drawn to Agfinity’s core values and felt like she could bring value with her many years of experience working with farmers and rural business owners alike. She is excited to continue making connections and building relationships with producers.

Dale Stone

Plower – Alberta (Red Deer North – Vegreville West)

Dale is originally from Edson, Alberta where he grew up on the family farm. Living on the farm is where he developed a love of the outdoors, fitness, and all things fast, like snowmobiles and quads. After graduating high school, Dale moved to Edmonton where he attended the Canadian College of Emergency Medical Services, graduating as an EMT. Soon after, Dale joined the Canadian Armed Forces where he became a member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Regiment.

During his time in the military, Dale completed a NATO Tour in the Drvar region of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Highlights of the tour included living in a renovated bread factory nicknamed Castle Grey Skull, the natural beauty of Bosnia itself, and meeting British Royalty. Drvar was a mountain town with winding roads, steep canyons, and friendly people. Every visit to a home started with a shot of Slivovitz, aka local moonshine. One of his fondest memories of Bosnia was providing close protection for Countess Mountbatten of Burma, Prince Charles’ Godmother and Colonel-in-Chief of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, during her visit with Canadian Troops.

After leaving the military, Dale worked as a Close Protection Operator on two U.S. Department of State programs in Kabul, Afghanistan, and surrounding regions. One program, the Justice Sector Support Program, Dale provided protection for, and lived with U.S. Attorneys working with the Afghan Government, the United Nations, the DEA, and other organizations. Fond, and funny memories of Afghanistan include BBQ’s and poker nights with the attorneys, driving in Kabul, a city of four million people with no traffic lights or stop signs, and making a real difference for the Afghan people. The company that I worked for contributed to programs in Agriculture, Law, Women’s Rights, Post-Secondary Education and made a real difference. It was great to see boys and girls in school uniforms, having the opportunity to attend school and attend university. During his time in Afghanistan, Dale attended Tactical Medic Training and Close Protection Driver Training in Richmond, Virginia; Palm Springs, California; and Tennessee.

After leaving the Close Protection field, Dale went back to school, graduating with a Degree in Finance (with Honors) from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.  This is when Dale made the jump to Agfinity. Working with Agfinity brings together Dale’s farming roots and his interests in financial markets, commodities markets, and trading. It’s great to come full circle, connecting with family roots in agriculture and combine this with my interests in markets and trading. Next stop is to pursue an MBA while working with Agfinity. There’s one more bucket list item to do and that’s to get an MBA.

The photo was taken north of Kabul, Afghanistan, I’m on the right. Notice the agricultural fields along the river. During my time in Afghanistan, I never saw a tractor. The fields were worked using livestock and by hand.

Tess Vedan

Plower – Alberta (Red Deer North – Vegreville West)

Tess is originally from Kelowna, BC, but spent most of her childhood in Hinton, AB. Growing up in the mountains she developed her love for all things outdoors, working with animals and art.

After graduating from high school Tess moved to Edmonton to attend University. In 2018 she started working with one of the largest cannabis producers in Canada at the beginning of legalization. Here is where her passion for working with plants began and where she was given opportunities to work with both indoor and outdoor producers throughout British Columbia and Alberta. Over time she worked her way up and moved on to a regional management position with a cannabis contracting company. In this position she was given the chance to work with farmers and learn more about the agricultural industry. When the opportunity came to work with Agfinity she jumped at the chance to transition into the grain industry.

When Tess isn’t working, she enjoys spending time outdoors, camping, fishing, skiing, and taking her dog hiking, or staying in for pool tournaments with friends. She also pursues art in her free time and dedicates the occasional weekend to commissioned works. Tess is excited to continue expanding on her knowledge and connecting with people in the agricultural industry.

Mike Szoke

Plower – Alberta (Red Deer South – Vegreville East

Mike was born, raised and still resides in Calgary, Alberta. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics, with a concentration in Applied Energy and a minor in Business; and an MBA, each from the University of Calgary. Between completing his undergraduate education and beginning his MBA, Mike worked for a mid-market oil and gas firm for two years. Mike’s intrigue in agriculture began during his MBA following a guest lecture presented by an agriculture professional. His intrigue led him to pursue a role with an agricultural start-up prior to beginning his journey with Agfinity. Mike enjoys learning about the ever-evolving agriculture industry and connecting with the people who are instrumental to bringing Canada’s agriculture products to market. In his spare time Mike is an avid outdoorsman and hockey player. He can be found hunting and fishing in the Alberta wilderness or playing hockey with close friends. Often, Mike’s outdoor pursuits lead him to meet farmers and ranchers, bringing his work full circle.

Kate Prince

Plower – Saskatchewan

Kate grew up on a grain farm outside of Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. The farm consisted of a seed cleaning plant and lentil/pea splitting facility, with grain from local producers being exported overseas. She especially enjoys being back on the farm at harvest, with fond memories of spending time with her dad in the combine and having family picnics in the field. Kate grew up talking to producers on the phone, worked alongside her father with the export business and is excited to have the opportunity to continue working with producers at Agfinity.

Kate currently lives in Sherwood Park, Alberta with aspirations to one day live on an acreage. When she isn’t working at Agfinity, she enjoys spending time with her son, gardening, woodworking, yoga and paddleboarding. During seeding and harvest, she enjoys being back on the farm helping move equipment and bringing meals to the field.

Corinne Nikish

Plower – Saskatchewan

This is the first time she has worked in the agriculture field and has found she is enjoying how friendly the producers she has been speaking with are. They are knowledgeable and happy to share their passion for their craft with her.

Corinne met the man that would become her husband when she was 17 and they have enjoyed (mostly LOL!) 33 years together, filled with fun and adventures. Some of their biggest adventures were: 12 years ago, they sold almost everything they owned and moved to Bali, Indonesia. They spent the year exploring Bali, Singapore and Thailand. And 6 years ago, they travelled to a few parts of Europe seeing Venice, Rome, Marseilles, Barcelona and Funchal. They both appreciate the opportunity to experience different traditions and cultures.

Corinne’s background in customer service and sales helps her to connect with people and identify their needs. Her Facilitator/Personal Development training allows her to actively listen and find creative solutions to challenges that may be experienced by producers. Doing her best to create win-win opportunities for everyone involved.

After returning from Bali, Corinne began a new career direction, becoming an Owner/Operator Pilot Truck driver and spent her days on the roads of the Prairie provinces guiding Oversize Loads. Maybe you were unlucky enough to be stopped or held up by her and her truck full of blinky lights while a big building or pipe mod moved passed you! Lol!

When Corinne isn’t working, she can be found enjoying time in her personally designed and overly indulgent craft room, teaching craft classes on YouTube or in person, spending time with her friends and family, spoiling her niece and nephew or traveling to a new adventure. Her next planned adventure for 2024 is a road trip on the famous Route 66 for her and hubby to celebrate her milestone birthday.

Camilla Cobb

Plower

Camilla Cobb’s journey is deeply rooted in the rich history of her family’s homestead just south of Valleyview. Raised on the land her grandfather, Domenic Properzi, built and cleared with his own hands, Camilla’s early years were shaped by the rugged beauty of the surroundings.

From childhood, Camilla found joy in the simple pleasures of rural life, whether it was hunting amidst the whispering trees, horseback riding across expansive fields, or navigating the rugged trails on a quad in the warmer months. Winter brought a different kind of excitement as she embraced the thrill of ski-dooing, and the Little Smoky River became a natural playground for swimming and reflection.

Fond memories of driving the tractor with her dad to check on neighbors’ cows or lull her to sleep marked the charming and industrious character of her upbringing. After high school, Camilla embarked on a new chapter, moving to Central Alberta with her high school sweetheart. Real estate beckoned, and she quickly found her niche, eventually co-founding a modular home company with her Aunt.

The establishment of Light House Point, a RTM community in Sylvan Lake, became a testament to Camilla’s entrepreneurial spirit. Sylvan Lake captured her heart, and it soon became her permanent home. Immersed in the local community, she thrived as a director of the Sylvan Lake Chamber of Commerce and actively participated in various town committees.

Camilla’s true passion emerged in the intricate dance of home construction. Joining forces with a local builder, she found herself deeply engaged in the building process, marking a significant turning point in her career. Alongside her professional pursuits, she became a dedicated mom to Domenic, who was born on a serendipitous 08-09-10, a numerical alignment she only realized a year later.

Weekends find Camilla on the sidelines, cheering on Domenic as he carves his path in hockey as a center man on a U15 team. Beyond her professional and family life, Camilla’s heart yearns for a canine haven, dreaming of a dog sanctuary for rescued dogs. Her passion for four-legged friends is evident, with a delightful touch – all her pets share names starting with the letter ‘D,’ from Daisy and Diesel to the current duo, Duchess and Duke.

Camilla Cobb’s story is a tapestry of family, resilience, and passion, woven against the backdrop of Alberta’s sweeping landscapes and the tight-knit community of Sylvan Lake.

Bryce Taylor

Buyer Relations

As a youngster, Bryce was brought up as a city boy in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario.  His parents decided, luckily for him, that they needed to get away from the big city life and moved their family to small town southwestern Ontario.

During his high school years, Bryce was getting his hands dirty learning how to prep land, plant and harvest crops for local farmers.  Later, he was offered an opportunity to help run a cash crop and cow calf family farm where he raised his family.

He was a crop planner and grain marketer.  Always looking for the best opportunities to sell his grain.  After leaving the operation he settled down on a hobby farm where he worked at a grain elevator receiving grain from farmers and talking about grain prices with farmers.

After spending 3 decades producing and handling grain, he decided to start a new career marketing grain. He now spends his working days enthusiastically working with the Agfinity Team to help find the best grain selling and buying opportunities.  Outside of working hours, he enjoys his time with the love of his life on their hobby farm and watching his adult children succeed in their own lives.

Cassie Dawson

Buyer Relations

Cassie was born and raised in the Niagara Region of Ontario. At the age of 6 she found her passion for horses and has never looked back! During her last year of working at the racetrack in Ontario, she came across a man that will soon be her husband! He was originally from Alberta and the opportunity to return home soon came. They both packed their lives into Cassie’s Hyundai Elantra and began the long journey to their new home in Edmonton in March of 2018.  

Since then, Cassie has worked on an equine, cattle and grain operation in Leduc, car dealerships, and recently began her journey in the agricultural world with Agfinity! In her younger years, she aspired to be a police officer and graduated from college with a diploma in Police Foundations and a certificate in Advanced Law Enforcement. Unfortunately, an accident at the racetrack has left her physically unable to pursue a career in law enforcement. When the opportunity to work at Agfinity came up, Cassie couldn’t pass it off! She has a passion for learning, helping and connecting with people and is excited to be involved in this vital industry.  

While not working, Cassie can usually be found at the barn with her daughter teaching her the ins and outs of working with horses and the beginning steps of riding! Cassie has reluctantly agreed (or has been aggressively persuaded) to hand over most of the reins of her 10-year-old thoroughbred mare to her daughter, as she is now affectionately known as “her pony”! Cassie is excited to continue her learning and journey in the agricultural industry with Agfinity and looks forward to connecting with and helping more farmers in the years to come! 

Danielle Barnes

Customer Experience Coordinator

Danielle is from Warburg Alberta, where she grew up on her family’s farm, graduated high school, and never really left; recently moving her family into their forever home not far from the family farm. Danielle has always been involved in agriculture. Helping her parents raise cattle & plant/harvest crops, participating in 4-H, and riding horses kept her busy in her younger years. She still pitches in whenever she can with her family’s farming operation, and their small herd of cattle. Her and her husband Brodie have two toddlers, Oaklen, and Wren, and are working hard at developing their new acreage, so there is never a lack of things to do! When she does have spare time, Danielle is either riding her horses, hanging out with her family, or reading a good book.

Danielle has a Business Diploma from NAIT, and the last 10 years worked as a “product coordinator” in the bulk chemical industry. When the chance to work in the agriculture industry arrived in the form of a position at Agfinity, Danielle thought it was a good time for a change! Being passionate about all things agriculture, she is excited about this new role. Danielle is used to scheduling and logistics planning, with lots of customer service experience, but her favorite part of any role is making connections with people.

Candice Petrick

Customer Experience Coordinator Manager

Candice grew up in rural Dawson Creek, BC where she was very involved in horse 4-H, and loved helping out at friends cattle farms. Having a love for animals from an early age she was always caring for a bunny, a cat, a horse or all the above and more!

Candice married the love of her life & high school sweetheart Cody in 2004. They spread their wings and moved to Grande Prairie, AB together where they still live. Cody and Candice spent their first 15 years of marriage traveling, working hard and enjoying the great outdoors- camping, snowmobiling, hiking, dirt biking, motorcycling & hunting.  Candice worked at an Energy & Industrial company for 14 years, working her way up from an office administrator to an office manager and finally a District Manager that overlooked numerous employees throughout BC and northern AB. Cody and Candice decided they wanted a family of their own and now have a son, Caleb who is almost 4 years old and a daughter Chloe who is just over 1 year old. Both kids love to take part in the adventures with Mom & Dad!

Candice loves solving problems at work, or better yet- being proactive before it becomes a problem! She may have spoke to you already, and she looks forward to speaking with more sellers & buyers who are working with Agfinity as we continue to grow. As a member of the Customer Experience Team she is here to help keep you happy -whether its coordinating your grain movement logistics, ensuring financial exchanges happen, or gathering information for you. If you hear the kids in the background please say hi- they are exuberant office helpers once in a while!

Mathew Evans

Website Development Team

Mat, originally from Canmore, Alberta, had a diverse athletic background, excelling in both baseball and hockey. After playing college baseball in New York State and Junior A hockey, he embarked on a journey across the USA and Canada, competing in baseball. Mat’s passion for sports extended beyond playing, as he transitioned into coaching hockey and baseball, mentoring young athletes aged 5 to 21.

With a background in Engineering Design and Web Development, Mat joined Agfinity, driven by a desire to learn and contribute to the agricultural industry that forms the backbone of Alberta. Despite not growing up in farming, he remains dedicated to helping and expanding his knowledge about this vital sector. When not at Agfinity, Mat spends his time assisting his family and working with aspiring young athletes in baseball and hockey.

Austin Fiddes

Website Development Team Lead

Born and raised in Truro, Nova Scotia, Austin grew up in the countryside of a small town before moving to Spruce Grove, Alberta after graduating high school. With a passion for video games and all things computers, he pursued a post-secondary education in Computer Software Development before becoming one of Agfinity’s newest Plowers.

As a programmer, Austin hopes to help contribute to the efficiency of Agfinity’s trading system and to solve technological problems.

Although not raised on a farm in Alberta, Austin’s country roots have provided him with a love of the outdoors and rural life, and he is eager to continue learning about Alberta’s agricultural industry. When not at Agfinity, Austin enjoys playing his guitars, spending time outdoors, and playing and collecting various types of games, both card and console.

Penelope

Many of you that have visited the Agfinity office have had the opportunity to meet Penelope. She is a wrinkly, snorty, snoring British Bulldog, lovingly dubbed Penelope Sprinkles Billett by the Billett children, because everyone in the family needs a middle name. Penelope has unofficially become the Agfinity mascot and “therapy” dog, often giving team members the opportunity to burn off some steam playing with her or taking her for a walk. She often spends days at the office and will place herself right in your direct path when entering and exiting the building. Of course, why wouldn’t she! On a sunny day, it’s the best place to soak up the warm rays while keeping an eye on the world outside.

Penelope loves to greet visitors, usually with an excess of saliva and doggy kisses. She also loves hanging with the Agfinity team. She contributes noisily to the team huddles every morning she is in the office and does a thorough check of everyone’s bags, purses and lunches on a daily basis to ensure everything is safe and acceptable, but in all truth, she’s just looking for something to eat. Eating is Penelope’s number one pastime with sleeping following at a very close second.

Penelope thoroughly enjoys meeting new people and is more than happy to greet you at the front door when you come to visit.