Gardeners around Decorah have three tomato varieties to research after visitors at Seed Savers Exchange’s Heritage Farm sampled and ranked 22 entries during a free tasting on Aug. 22, 2026. Rather than naming one overall winner, participants chose a favorite for each of three everyday uses.
The results give home growers a locally selected starting point as they consider future gardens. Someone hoping to make sauce may want a different tomato from a gardener looking for fruit to eat fresh, and the tasting linked each winning variety with one of those familiar kitchen uses.
The three varieties visitors favored
- 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, giving gardeners a variety to investigate for sauces and other cooked dishes. Chocolate Cherry was the favorite among participants who preferred eating tomatoes directly from the garden.
What the tasting can—and cannot—tell gardeners
The category results offer a focused local reference, but they do not guarantee that one variety will perform best in every Decorah-area garden. Growing conditions, recipes and personal taste can influence both how tomatoes grow and how they taste.
The event also introduced participants to varieties they might not otherwise have considered. Narrowing 22 entries to three names associated with familiar garden and kitchen uses gives growers a more targeted research list than a single overall ranking would.
Seed Savers Exchange provided follow-up information for people interested in the selected varieties. Participants were directed to research Bookie and Rizzi Softball Plum, while Chocolate Cherry seeds were listed for purchase through the organization.
Heritage Farm tasting connected to seed preservation
The free gathering 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. 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 participants who sampled the tomatoes, shared their opinions and voted.
For gardeners planning a future crop, the event’s list is simple: Bookie for slicing, Rizzi Softball Plum for cooking and Chocolate Cherry for snacking. The selections can narrow the search, while each grower’s garden conditions, recipes and preferences will determine which variety is ultimately the best fit.