Gardeners near Decorah have three 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 separate category after attendees sampled, compared and ranked 22 varieties.

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

Which tomatoes won near Decorah?

Bookie took the Slicer category, making it the crowd favorite among the 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 conversation and voting were part of the gathering’s educational purpose, introducing attendees to a range of tomato types and 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.

For local gardeners, the results create a practical starting list: Bookie for slicing, Rizzi Softball Plum for cooking and Chocolate Cherry for snacking. The tasting did not establish one tomato as the best choice for every use. Instead, it identified a crowd 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 took place 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, and thanked the people who sampled the tomatoes, shared their opinions and cast votes.

For gardeners deciding what to grow next, the event offers three varieties to explore while pointing toward Seed Savers Exchange’s seed offerings and preservation work.