Pumpkin king dies

Howard Dill, Nova Scotia's legendary giant pumpkin breeder, died Tuesday of liver cancer.

The Annapolis Valley farmer cornered a unique market for giant pumpkin seeds now grown by thousands of people around the world.

"There is really only one Howard Dill and he will always be remembered as an icon," said Agriculture Minister Brooke Taylor.

Dill, who left school in Grade 6, taught himself plant genetics, creating the seeds that turned him into a media darling known as the pumpkin king of the world.

After more than 30 years, Dill's seeds have spawned contests around the world to see who can grow the heaviest pumpkin. In Germany, one pumpkin weighed more than 544 kilograms.

Though Dill's work has attracted the attention of mogul Martha Stewart and media outlets around the world, son Danny Dill said many ordinary gardeners seek his father's seeds, too.

"I have had orders that have come in from Istanbul, Turkey, Thailand, all over Europe," he said.

Besides pumpkins, Dill had another claim to fame: his farm in Windsor is home to Long Pond, said to be the birthplace of hockey.