Gisborne club goes from rowing to hoeing

A Coxco work crew made up of Gisborne Rowing Club members Mark Tibble, (left) Caleb Ney, David Levy, Caitlin Bregmen, Phoebe Naske, Jemma Honey, Presley Gibson, Dayna Honey, Emily Smith, Te Whetu Tibble, Tappa Tibble, Markus Waymouth, Melody Cross, Hugh Fitzgerald and Mel Poi. Photo / Paul Rickard

It has only been one day but a group from Gisborne Rowing Club are glad to be out working and learning about the local horticultural sector.

Yesterday they were weeding fields of squash in Manutuke and will move on to detasseling corn later in the season.

Detasseling is removing the immature pollen-producing bodies, the tassel, from the tops of corn plants and placing them on the ground.

Rower Caitlin Bregmen says it's good to be earning money which will go towards getting the team to rowing events next year.

Coxco managing director Omi Badsar says it is great to get the rowing club in over the summer period.

"This is our busy time so there's plenty of work for them."

They are doing reasonably long days for good pay and it gets them off their screens and into work, he said.

"We want school leavers to know there are opportunities out there."

"It's good for them to learn what goes on out here in a major sector of our economy and to get some basic horticultural skills."

Coxco work coordinator Mark Tibble says they meet at about 6am to talk about the plan for the day and start in the fields at 6.45.

"I'll probably let them knock off at about two o'clock this afternoon because most of them are only 16 and it's their first day."