Gardeners near Decorah now have a locally selected shortlist of tomato varieties to consider after visitors at Seed Savers Exchange’s Heritage Farm sampled and ranked 22 entries during a free tasting on Aug. 22, 2026.
The tasting did not produce one overall winner. Instead, participants chose a favorite for each of three everyday uses: eating fresh slices, cooking and snacking. That approach gives home growers a practical way to narrow their choices when planning a future garden.
The three local favorites
- For slicing: Bookie
- For cooking: Rizzi Softball Plum
- For snacking: Chocolate Cherry
Bookie received the most support from visitors seeking a tomato for fresh slices. Rizzi Softball Plum led the cooking category, making it a variety for gardeners to investigate for sauces and other cooked dishes. Chocolate Cherry was the favorite among people who preferred eating tomatoes directly from the garden.
The category-based results reflect how a tomato’s intended use can shape a gardener’s choice. Someone planning to make sauce may want a different variety than someone looking for fruit to eat straight from the plant. By linking each selection to a specific use, the tasting offered more targeted guidance than a single overall ranking would have.
What the tasting means for Decorah-area growers
The results are a focused local tasting outcome, not a promise that any one variety will grow best in every Decorah-area garden. Growing conditions, recipes and personal preferences can influence both how tomatoes perform and how they taste.
The event also gave visitors an opportunity to encounter varieties they may not have previously considered. For gardeners beginning their own research, the voting narrowed a field of 22 entries to three names associated with common kitchen and garden uses.
Seed Savers Exchange provided follow-up information for growers interested in the selected varieties. Gardeners were directed to research Bookie and Rizzi Softball Plum, while Chocolate Cherry seeds were listed for purchase through Seed Savers Exchange.
Heritage Farm event connected to seed preservation
The free event was open to tomato lovers of all ages and formed part of Seed Savers Exchange’s broader seed-preservation work at Heritage Farm near Decorah. The gathering centered on sampling, comparing and voting, while introducing participants to the organization’s work with seeds and plant varieties.
Decorah Bank & Trust Co., Mountain Rose Herbs and Streamworks supported the tasting. Seed Savers Exchange also thanked the participants who sampled the tomatoes, shared their opinions and voted.
For a future planting, the locally selected list is simple: Bookie for slicing, Rizzi Softball Plum for cooking and Chocolate Cherry for snacking. The results can help growers begin their research, but each gardener’s conditions, recipes and taste preferences will ultimately guide the final choice.