Three tomato varieties earned top honors at Seed Savers Exchange’s 2026 Tomato Tasting at Heritage Farm near Decorah, giving local gardeners a crowd-tested shortlist for future planting.
The free community tasting drew tomato enthusiasts of all ages. Attendees sampled 22 varieties, compared their preferences, discussed the tomatoes and voted for their favorites across three categories.
Which tomatoes won
Seed Savers Exchange announced Bookie as the winner in the Slicer category, Rizzi Softball Plum as the Cooking winner and Chocolate Cherry as the Snacking winner.
- Slicer: Bookie
- Cooking: Rizzi Softball Plum
- Snacking: Chocolate Cherry
The event focused on trying unfamiliar varieties and sharing opinions about the results. Because it was open to tomato lovers of all ages, the tasting served both as a community gathering and as an introduction to different types of tomatoes.
Where to find the winning varieties
Gardeners planning future plantings in the Decorah area can look to Seed Savers Exchange for the winning seeds. The organization directed readers to its Exchange for Bookie and Rizzi Softball Plum, while Chocolate Cherry seeds were listed for purchase through Seed Savers Exchange.
The three winners provide a starting point for gardeners interested in exploring the organization’s seed offerings and learning more about seed preservation. The tasting was supported by Decorah Bank & Trust Co., Mountain Rose Herbs and Streamworks.
Seed Savers Exchange thanked the people who sampled the tomatoes, discussed their choices and voted. The results give area gardeners three varieties to consider as they plan future gardens.