Decorah-area gardeners have three locally tested tomato varieties to investigate after visitors sampled and voted on 22 entries during a free tasting Aug. 22, 2026, at Seed Savers Exchange’s Heritage Farm near Decorah.
The event did not name one overall winner. Instead, participants selected a favorite for each of three familiar kitchen uses: slicing, cooking and eating tomatoes straight from the garden. The category-based format gave visitors a practical way to compare varieties, recognizing that a tomato suited to sandwiches or salads may not be the best choice for sauce or fresh snacking.
Which tomatoes led each category?
Bookie received the most support as a slicing tomato. Visitors selected the variety for fresh eating, including slices for sandwiches, salads and similar meals.
Rizzi Softball Plum led the cooking category. Participants chose it for sauces and other cooked dishes, including preparations that may interest gardeners planning to prepare or preserve tomatoes.
Chocolate Cherry was the favorite among visitors who preferred eating tomatoes directly from the garden. Seed Savers Exchange listed seeds for the variety for purchase, giving interested gardeners a direct way to explore the tasting favorite.
What the results mean for local gardeners
The results offer a focused local reference, but they do not guarantee that the three selected varieties will outperform every other tomato in every garden around Decorah. Growing conditions, recipes and personal taste can affect both plant performance and flavor.
Gardeners primarily interested in sandwiches or salads may want to investigate Bookie. Those planning sauces or other cooked dishes could compare Rizzi Softball Plum with additional cooking varieties. Chocolate Cherry may appeal to people who enjoy eating tomatoes immediately after picking them.
Visitors compared 22 varieties at the gathering, which brought together tomato lovers of all ages. Narrowing the entries to three varieties tied to common kitchen uses created a targeted list for further research and introduced participants to tomatoes they might not otherwise have considered.
Seeds and preservation work at Heritage Farm
Seed Savers Exchange provided follow-up information for gardeners interested in the selected varieties. Participants were directed to research Bookie and Rizzi Softball Plum, while Chocolate Cherry seeds were available for purchase through the organization.
The free tasting was part of Seed Savers Exchange’s broader seed-preservation work at Heritage Farm near Decorah. Visitors sampled, compared and voted while learning more about 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 people who sampled the tomatoes, shared their opinions and voted.