There is far more to pumpkins than most people realize. Pumpkins are being used as boats, in sports and creams. They are a very nutritious and hearty fruit. Pumpkins have grown far beyond being merely Halloween decorations.

One of the strangest sports in the world is pumpkin boat racing. Never heard of it? Pumpkin racing began in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Contestants hollow out their giant pumpkin and race it across Lake Pesaquid. The PVCs (personal vegetable crafts) are divided into different groups. They have a paddling group and a motorized and experimental class. Contestants are encouraged to not only decorated their PVC’s but to wear a costume. In Windsor the day of the big race is a whole day of pumpkin fun and games.

Howard Dill has been dubbed the ‘Pumpkin King‘. Dill is the man behind the Giant Pumpkin. It was his engineering and cross breeding that gave us the seeds for growing enormous pumpkins. Dill, himself held the title for growing the world’s largest pumpkin a number of times, before his record was defeated. Dill is also the founder of the world famous pumpkin races held in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Continue reading →