Three tomato varieties emerged as the crowd favorites at Seed Savers Exchange’s 2026 Tomato Tasting at Heritage Farm near Decorah, giving area gardeners a short list of varieties to consider for future plantings.
Bookie won the Slicer category, Rizzi Softball Plum was chosen as the Cooking winner and Chocolate Cherry took the Snacking category. The results followed a community tasting in which attendees sampled, compared and ranked 22 tomato varieties.
Which tomatoes won
The tasting results were divided into three categories based on how attendees might use the tomatoes:
- Slicer: Bookie
- Cooking: Rizzi Softball Plum
- Snacking: Chocolate Cherry
The event was free and open to tomato lovers of all ages. Participants discussed the varieties and voted for their favorites, making the gathering both a chance to try unfamiliar tomatoes and an introduction to different types of tomatoes.
Where Decorah-area gardeners can find the winners
Gardeners planning future gardens can look to Seed Savers Exchange for the winning varieties. The organization directed readers to its Exchange for Bookie and Rizzi Softball Plum. Chocolate Cherry seeds were listed for purchase through Seed Savers Exchange.
The three winning varieties offer a starting point for local gardeners interested in exploring Seed Savers Exchange’s seed offerings and learning more about seed preservation. The tasting did not simply identify a single overall winner; instead, it highlighted one crowd favorite for slicing, one for cooking and one for snacking.
Seed Savers Exchange said the event was supported by Decorah Bank & Trust Co., Mountain Rose Herbs and Streamworks. The organization also thanked the people who sampled the tomatoes, shared their opinions and voted.
With 22 varieties considered, the tasting results give gardeners near Decorah three options to investigate as they plan future plantings: Bookie for slicing, Rizzi Softball Plum for cooking and Chocolate Cherry for snacking.