Gardeners near Decorah have three crowd-tested tomato varieties to consider for future plantings after Seed Savers Exchange announced the results of its 2026 Tomato Tasting at Heritage Farm. Bookie, Rizzi Softball Plum and Chocolate Cherry each won a separate category following an event where attendees sampled, compared and ranked 22 varieties.
The free community gathering gave local gardeners a chance to taste tomatoes they may not have tried before while learning how different varieties can fit different kitchen and garden uses. Organizers did not select one overall winner. Instead, participants evaluated the tomatoes in three categories: slicing, cooking and snacking.
Which tomatoes won near Decorah?
Bookie won the Slicer category, making it the crowd favorite among the varieties intended to be eaten in slices. Rizzi Softball Plum was selected as the Cooking winner, and Chocolate Cherry took the Snacking category.
- Slicer: Bookie
- Cooking: Rizzi Softball Plum
- Snacking: Chocolate Cherry
Participants voted for their favorites after sampling the entries. The tasting and voting also served an educational purpose, introducing attendees to a range of tomato types and connecting the event to the broader work of seed preservation.
What the results mean for next year’s garden
For gardeners planning future plantings, the results offer a practical starting list based on how attendees evaluated the tomatoes. Bookie may be worth investigating for slicing, Rizzi Softball Plum for cooking and Chocolate Cherry for eating as a snack.
The results do not establish one variety as the best choice for every garden or kitchen. They identify a crowd favorite for each of the three uses included in the tasting, giving growers different options depending on how they expect to use their harvest.
Gardeners interested in trying the winners can investigate the 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.
About the Heritage Farm tasting
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.
The organization also thanked the people who sampled the tomatoes, shared their opinions and cast votes. For area gardeners deciding what to grow next, the event points to three varieties to explore as well as Seed Savers Exchange’s seed offerings and preservation work.