Gardeners planning next year’s planting have three tomato varieties to investigate after visitors at Seed Savers Exchange’s Heritage Farm near Decorah tasted and ranked 22 entries during a free tasting on Aug. 22, 2026. Rather than selecting one overall winner, participants chose a favorite for each of three common uses: slicing, cooking and snacking.

The results offer local growers a practical starting point, but they are not a guarantee that any one tomato will perform best in every Decorah-area garden. Growing conditions, personal taste and recipes can all influence which variety is the best fit.

The three crowd favorites

  • Slicing: Bookie
  • Cooking: Rizzi Softball Plum
  • Snacking: Chocolate Cherry

Bookie led the slicing category, making it the variety to consider for people who enjoy fresh tomato slices. Rizzi Softball Plum received the top cooking score, while Chocolate Cherry drew the strongest support from participants who preferred eating tomatoes directly from the garden.

How the tasting can help Decorah-area gardeners

The category-based format connected each result to a particular kitchen use. Participants did not have to identify one variety suited to every purpose; instead, they could choose tomatoes for fresh slices, recipes or quick snacks.

Household preferences and the way a harvest will be used remain important. A gardener preparing sauces or other cooked dishes may want different qualities from someone looking for tomatoes to eat immediately. The tasting also introduced participants to varieties they may not have encountered before.

Gardeners interested in the winners can continue researching them through Seed Savers Exchange’s Exchange. Bookie and Rizzi Softball Plum were directed there for additional information, while Chocolate Cherry seeds were listed for purchase through Seed Savers Exchange.

A free event supporting seed preservation

The tasting was open to tomato lovers of all ages and was part of Seed Savers Exchange’s broader seed-preservation work at Heritage Farm. Decorah Bank & Trust Co., Mountain Rose Herbs and Streamworks supported the event.

For growers preparing a future garden, the tasting’s locally selected shortlist is straightforward: Bookie for slicing, Rizzi Softball Plum for cooking and Chocolate Cherry for snacking. Seed Savers Exchange thanked the people who sampled the tomatoes, shared their opinions and voted.