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2 CapitalPress.com Friday, January 29, 2021 People & Places Software helps on the farm By BRAD CARLSON Capital Press EMPOWERING PRODUCERS OF FOOD & FIBER Established 1928 NAMPA, Idaho — As a tax professional with many clients who are involved in agriculture, Jared Asumendi knows that farmers “are always looking for ways to be more efficient and to use technology to better analyze their operations.” “It becomes more and more important,” he said. “Agriculture is a very cost-in- tensive enterprise.” Asumendi is a partner in Agri-Pay LLC, which has developed specialized soft- ware that helps farmers track their expenses and reduce their costs. The software and app is a time-tracking, safety training and compliance platform. For example, the com- pany has been working with insurance companies to ana- lyze how best to develop safety training for driving farm vehicles and operating farm implements. Agri-Pay has also added farm-level features to its soft- ware that offer time and loca- tion tracking, online training and compliance solutions. “We think there is the opportunity there to provide some training for farmers and employees to drive down risks” and thus costs, Asu- mendi said. He came up with the idea for the software after an agricultural associa- tion approached him. Busi- ness-development special- Capital Press Managers Joe Beach ..................... Editor & Publisher Anne Long ................Advertising Manager Western Innovator JARED ASUMENDI Title: Partner in Agri-Pay LLC with Nic Miller, 40, and Eugene Dina, 44. Brad Carlson/Capital Press From left, Agri-Pay LLC partners Nic Miller, Jared Asumendi and Eugene Dina. ist Nic Miller and software industry veteran Eugene Dina are the other partners in the one-year-old business. Customers include small and large farms. They pay a fee based on the number of employees. Asumendi and Miller grew up working for farms and agribusinesses in the Homedale-Parma-Wilder area of southwest Idaho. “We care about it and know a lot of people in the industry,” Asumendi said. Agri-Pay “gives farm- ers greater capability to know where their resources are spent,” Miller said. “Ag needed a system that was built around their industry.” He said it can be adapted to various settings, from a multi-field farm to a pro- duce packing shed. It includes training, reporting and record-keeping elements centered on the safety of ag workers. Dina said Agri-Pay is “built specifically for ag” and designed to be a com- pelling alternative to adapt- ing other software. Chal- lenges in its development included synchronizing remote workers with a cen- tral office or decision maker, and coordinating online and offline features. Planned enhancements include making the exist- ing “field-lock” feature more effective. Field lock is designed to keep workers away from recently sprayed fields until Environmental Protection Agency Worker Protection Standard safety periods pass. It is especially effective for employees who may work far from a central office. Dina said the feature incorporates geo-fence tech- nology, which alerts the worker the instant he or she crosses into an off-limits field because the field’s coor- dinates are on his mobile phone. The farm manager is alerted as soon as the worker travels into a wireless cover- age area. “That not only keeps peo- ple safe, but creates a digital trail,” Miller said. Agri-Pay used Idaho State Department of Agri- culture-administered Worker Protection Stan- dards in designing some of the software features, Asu- mendi said. Employers must HERMISTON, Ore. — As the pandemic marches on, so do many restaurants in this Eastern Oregon city. The longer their dining rooms are closed, however, the more owners and manag- ers worry about the future of their business. Gena Cook manages Taste of Thai in Hermiston. She said the past year has been a struggle for the business. Over its two decades in town the restaurant has built up a loyal customer base, many of whom are still faithfully spending their money there. But Cook said sales have still dropped significantly every time they have had to go back to take-out only. “We have our ups and downs, but overall, busi- ness has probably been cut in half,” she said. That doesn’t include the additional expenses, like take-out containers and dis- posable utensils. Some restaurants have also forked out extra money for tents, outdoor heaters and other items to create outdoor dining areas, or paid delivery driv- ers. Others, including Taste of Thai, decided the expense would end up outweighing the possible revenue. Cook said it isn’t uncom- mon to see customers eat- ing in their car in the parking lot these days. As restau- rants have closed indoor din- ing and reopened it several times in the past year, and rules have varied between states and even counties, she said it’s easy for customers to get confused and show up believing they will be able to eat inside, only to be turned away, disappointed. Some restaurants in Oregon have rebelled and reopened their indoor areas, but that puts the businesses at risk of penalties ranging from fees to the loss of a liquor license. Businesses in Ore- gon have not received liabil- ity protections for COVID- 19 either, meaning they could be vulnerable to lawsuits if they don’t follow the rules and see an outbreak. During an interview in December 2020, Nookie’s Restaurant& Brewery owner Mitch Myers discussed his frustrations with the con- straints that have been placed on restaurants throughout the pandemic. “The whole thing is com- plete and total insanity,” he said. Ben Lonergan/EO Media Group/Hermiston Herald Taste of Thai manager Gena Cook takes a to-go order over the phone at the Hermiston restaurant Jan. 19. While some restaurants have made an effort to stay open during periods when indoor dining is not allowed, Myers said doing so often means spending much more money than the restaurant will actually make off of the “breadcrumbs” that Gov. Kate Brown has allowed. “I’m done spending money for breadcrumbs,” he said. In December, the elec- tronic reader board at Nook- ie’s displayed the messages “Pray for Oregon small busi- nesses,” “Our businesses are our lives” and “Kate Brown is destroying our state, city and small businesses.” The ban on indoor dining in counties labeled “extreme risk” for COVID-19 trans- mission has had less of an impact on Don Junior’s Tacos, formerly known as Quickstop 395. The business was pre- viously a drive-thru con- venience store where driv- ers pulled up into a vehicle bay (similar to a quick oil change shop) and choose from snacks and drinks lin- ing the walls without ever leaving their vehicle. But about a month ago, the store was converted into a drive- thru taco stand instead. Owner Junior Ortega said he has always enjoyed the “vibe” of drive-thru service, and in light of the warnings about the risks of COVID- 19 transmission indoors, it Jessica Boone ............ Production Manager Samantha McLaren ....Circulation Manager Entire contents copyright © 2021 EO Media Group dba Capital Press An independent newspaper published every Friday. Occupation: Partner in Asumendi & Kincheloe accounting and tax firm, Nampa, Idaho published weekly by EO Media Group, Age: 39 2870 Broadway NE, Salem OR 97303. Home: Wilder, Idaho Family: Wife, Diana, three young children Hobbies: Fly fishing, being with family Education: Studied at University of Idaho, Boise State University. Online: https://www. agri-pay.com/ Capital Press (ISSN 0740-3704) is Periodicals postage paid at Portland, OR, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Capital Press, P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048. To Reach Us Circulation ...........................800-781-3214 Email ........... Circulation@capitalpress.com keep records of worker and handler training for two years. He said many func- tions reflect challenges ag employers expressed. “Our focus is looking at the ag community and our software to see if we can find solutions to complex problems using technology,” Asumendi said. Restaurants soldier on as COVID-19 restrictions linger By JADE MCDOWELL EO Media Group Carl Sampson .................. Managing Editor seemed like there would be a demand for restaurant food people can pick up without ever leaving their car. “These days, people enjoy being able to pull up and get food on the go, and not have to unload their family,” he said. The drive-thru only busi- ness model also helps the restaurant not have to worry as much about shifts in state regulations regarding indoor dining. Instead, Ortega said, they have been able to put together a simple breakfast, lunch and dinner menu that they should be able to offer no matter what risk level Umatilla County is in. On Main Street, Jaime Ruelas opened La Laguna Sports Bar in April 2020, and said it has been a struggle since then to keep the restau- rant open. In an effort to help drum up business, he recently reached out to a few other restaurants in town and worked with them to put together a flyer with cou- pons from all the restaurants involved in the project. “The plan is to have each business give the flyer with all their to-go orders, each helping promote the other,” he said. Chavez’s son happy dad’s bust is in Biden Oval Office Main line .............................503-364-4431 News Staff Idaho Carol Ryan Dumas ..............208-860-3898 Boise Brad Carlson .......................208-914-8264 Western Washington Don Jenkins .........................360-722-6975 Eastern Washington Matthew Weaver ................509-688-9923 Oregon George Plaven ....................406-560-1655 Mateusz Perkowski .............800-882-6789 Sierra Dawn McClain ..........503-506-8011 Designer Randy Wrighthouse .............800-882-6789 To Place Classified Ads Telephone (toll free) ............800-882-6789 Online ...........CapitalPress.com/classifieds Subscriptions Mail rates paid in advance Easy Pay U.S. $4 /month (direct withdrawal from bank or credit card account) 1 year U.S. ...........................................$55 2 years U.S. ........................................$100 1 year Canada .....................................$275 1 year other countries ...........call for quote 1 year Internet only .........................$49.99 1 year 4-H, FFA students/teachers .......$30 9 months 4-H, FFA students/teachers ..$25 Visa and Mastercard accepted To get information published Mailing address: Capital Press P.O. Box 2048 Salem, OR 97308-2048 News: Contact the main office or news staff member closest to you, send the information to newsroom@capitalpress.com or mail it to “Newsroom,” c/o Capital Press. Include a contact telephone number. Letters to the Editor: Send your comments on agriculture-related public By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press Bust of Ce- sar Chavez on display in the Oval Office. WASHINGTON (AP) — Paul Chavez had no idea where a sculpture of his father, Latino American civil rights and labor leader Cesar Chavez, would end up in the White House. He agreed just last week to lend the bronze bust to Presi- dent Joe Biden and hustled to get it wrapped up and shipped across the country from Cali- fornia. It was an utter surprise when he saw Biden at his desk in the Oval Office, with the bust of the late Cesar Chavez right behind the president. “We’re still smiling cheek to cheek,” Paul Chavez said in an interview. Biden pressed themes of unity and inclusiveness and advocacy for racial jus- tice during the campaign, and Chavez said Biden appeared to be trying to convey that through a series of quick deco- rative changes he’s made to the world’s most powerful office. Chavez said the prominent placement of his father’s like- ness in the White House sends the message that it’s a “new day” following the tenure of Donald Trump and the anti-im- migrant policies that he and his advisers pushed. Chavez, who is president and chairman of the board of directors of the foun- dation named for his father, pre- dicted that “the contributions of working people, of immi- grants, of Latinos ... will be taken into account” in the new administration. Whenever Biden is seen at his desk, Chavez, a farm worker advocate, will be there, too. Biden revealed his Oval Office touch-up as he signed a raft of executive orders and other actions in his first hours as the nation’s 46th president. issues to opinions@capitalpress.com, or mail your letter to “Opinion,” c/o Capital Press. Letters should be limited to 300 words. Deadline: Noon Monday. Capital Press ag media CapitalPress.com FarmSeller.com MarketPlace.capitalpress.com facebook.com/CapitalPress facebook.com/FarmSeller twitter.com/CapitalPress youtube.com/CapitalPressvideo CALENDAR Submit upcoming ag-related events on www.capitalpress.com or by email to newsroom@capital- press.com. TUESDAY, FEB. 2 Idaho and Eastern Oregon Crop Protection Meeting (virtual): 9 a.m.-noon. The free event is the only component of the Idaho and Mal- heur County Onion Growers Associa- tions’ annual meeting to be held this year. Scheduled presentation topics include onion foliar diseases in the Treasure Valley, soil-borne and bac- terial diseases, weed control, and thrips and Iris Yellow Spot Virus man- agement. Contact: James Woodhall, jwoodhall@uidaho.edu TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY FEB. 9-10 National Hemp Symposium (virtual): The National Academies of Sciences Board on Agriculture and Natural Resources and Ore- gon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center invite you to the inaugural National Hemp Sym- posium. This event will include a diverse program with a broad focus on both what the industry has accomplished to date and what lies ahead. Major U.S. corporations par- ticipating in international supply chains across all sectors will join us to express their views on the sci- ence and R&D needs for the thou- sands of hemp-based sustainable products. Conference Services-Ore- gon State University, 541-737-9300, conferences@oregonstate.edu TUESDAY-THURSDAY FEB. 9-11 World Ag Expo (virtual): The World Ag Expo in Tulare, Calif., is moving online this year. It will kick off February 9-11, the original show dates. Live events and seminars will be scheduled 9 a.m.-4 p.m. PST each day, but content will be avail- able on-demand at no charge to attendees around the clock. For more information, go to https:// www.worldagexpo.com/ TUESDAY-THURSDAY FEB. 16-18 northwestagshow.com/ Northwest Agricultural Show (virtual): The 51st edi- tion of the Northwest Ag Show will be a free digital event fea- turing a daily lineup of presen- tations, virtual exhibitor booths and more. The event features equipment demos, network- ing opportunities and a sched- ule of educational programming. Attendees have the opportunity to live-chat and direct message with representatives from par- ticipating companies and take advantage of show specials. For more information, go to https:// Idaho Hay and Forage Asso- ciation Annual Conference (vir- tual): This is a chance for grow- ers and others to get an update on the industry. http://www.idaho- hay.com THURSDAY, FEB. 18 THURSDAY-FRIDAY FEB. 18-19 USDA Agricultural Out- look Forum (virtual): The forum includes outlooks on produc- tion, prices, trade and trends. Website: https://www.usda.gov/ oce/ag-outlook-forum Index Markets .................................................10 Opinion ...................................................6 Correction policy Accuracy is important to Capital Press staff and to our readers. If you see a misstatement, omission or factual error in a headline, story or photo caption, please call the Capital Press news department at 503-364-4431, or send email to newsroom@capitalpress.com. We want to publish corrections to set the record straight.
