Howard Dill

{{COI|date=May 2019}}

{{short description|Canadian giant pumpkin breeder}}

File:Howard Dill's Pumpkin Patch.jpg

Howard William Dill (July 11, 1934 – May 20, 2008{{Cite web|url=https://howarddill.com/walk/Howard%20Dill%20Memorial%20Walk%20Poster%202014.pdf|title=Howard Dill Memorial Walk for Liver Health|publisher=Canadian Liver Foundation|website=howarddill.com|access-date=May 30, 2021}}) was a Canadian giant pumpkin breeder who patented a pumpkin seed variety called Atlantic Giant. Dill was known as "The Pumpkin King" and "The father of all pumpkins".{{Cite web |url=https://www.macleans.ca/society/life/the-father-of-all-pumpkins/ |title=The most famous man in the giant pumpkin world - Macleans.ca |website=www.macleans.ca |access-date=2019-02-01}}

Dill grew pumpkin varieties for many years in the Annapolis Valley close to Windsor, Nova Scotia.{{Cite web|url=https://www.agcanada.com/daily/n-s-pumpkin-king-howard-dill-73|title=N.S. "pumpkin king" Howard Dill, 73|last=News|first=GFM Network|website=Canadian Cattlemen|language=en|access-date=2019-02-01}} He left school in grade 6 and taught himself plant genetics. Dill earned business from competitive giant pumpkin growers and ordinary gardeners from Thailand and Turkey.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/pumpkin-king-dies-1.741958|title=Pumpkin king dies|date=May 21, 2008|publisher=CBC News|language=en|access-date=May 30, 2021}}

At the International Pumpkin Association weigh-off in 1979, one of his early hybrids earned him the top prize for {{cvt|199|kg}}. He was given the title of "Pumpkin King" at this time.{{Cite book|last=Kingsbury|first=Al|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fVHhAAAAMAAJ&q=Howard+Dill|title=The Pumpkin King: Howard Dill and the Atlantic Giant|date=1992|publisher=Lancelot Press|isbn=978-0-88999-516-1|language=en}} Atlantic Giant pumpkin seeds were first patented in 1979 by Dill, who then went on to set the world record, this event took place in 1980 with a {{cvt|459|lb}} record.{{Cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/growing-giant-pumpkins/story?id=12005986|title=Great Pumpkin: Secret to Growing Giant Gourds|date=2010-10-30|website=ABC News|language=en|access-date=2019-02-01}}

Dill died in 2008 of liver cancer.