Tomato tasting in Decorah offers variety beyond belief - KXLT - Fox 47 Rochester MN News, Weather and Sports

DECORAH, Iowa (FOX 47) -- This weekend signals the end of summer for most people, but thanks to one organization in Decorah, Iowa, people can get one last taste of the summer months and even take some of that flavor with them into fall.

"Tomatoes is kind of the centerfold of vegetable gardens," states John Torgrimson, the executive director of the Seed Savers Exchange.

Tomatoes, and lots of them.

The Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah welcomed hundreds of people Saturday to have an open mind and active taste buds when it comes to the variety of tomatoes they have to offer.

"Tomato tasting is a way for us to show the genetic diversity that is available in not just tomatoes but in all vegetable varieties that we have here at Heritage Farm," explains Torgrimson. "We have more than 5,000 varieties of tomatoes in our collection."

This is the seventh year the tomato tasting has taken place, growing in popularity each year. It even offered a salsa contest to give people options for what to do with their tomatoes with summer fading away.

"Absolutely, a lot of people preserve their tomatoes, they can. My family, we roast tomatoes and then we freeze them," says Torgrimson, "so there is a lot of opportunity to keep tomatoes in your life all the way until next summer."

With over 70 varieties of tomato, it may be hard to choose which type you want in your ideal garden.

"I think my favorite so far is a little cherry tomato, which surprises me," shares Julie Roles of St. Paul. "But it was very sweet and I realized that I like sweet tomatoes."

To get more information about the Seed Savers Exchange and what tomato advice they have to offer, visit the Seed Savers Exchange website.