Gardeners near Decorah have three new tomato varieties to consider for future plantings after Seed Savers Exchange announced the crowd favorites from its 2026 Tomato Tasting at Heritage Farm. Bookie, Rizzi Softball Plum and Chocolate Cherry each won a different category after attendees sampled, compared and ranked 22 varieties.

The free event gave area gardeners an opportunity to taste tomatoes they may not have tried before while learning how different varieties can fit different kitchen and garden uses. Rather than selecting one overall winner, organizers divided the results into categories for slicing, cooking and snacking.

Which tomatoes won

Bookie took the Slicer category, making it the event’s crowd favorite for tomatoes intended to be eaten in slices. Rizzi Softball Plum was selected as the Cooking winner, while Chocolate Cherry won the Snacking category.

  • Slicer: Bookie
  • Cooking: Rizzi Softball Plum
  • Snacking: Chocolate Cherry

Participants voted for their favorites after sampling the entries. The discussion and voting were part of the gathering’s educational purpose, introducing attendees to a range of tomato types as well as to the broader work of seed preservation.

Where gardeners can find the winning varieties

People planning next year’s gardens can investigate the winning varieties through Seed Savers Exchange. 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.

That gives local gardeners three distinct starting points: Bookie for slicing, Rizzi Softball Plum for cooking and Chocolate Cherry for snacking. The results do not establish one tomato as the best in every use; instead, they identify a favorite for each of the three ways attendees were asked to evaluate the varieties.

The tasting was open to tomato lovers of all ages and was held as a free community event at Heritage Farm near Decorah. 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 cast votes.

For gardeners deciding what to grow next, the tasting offers a short list of varieties to explore while also pointing toward Seed Savers Exchange’s seed offerings and preservation work.