FAQs

SFI was designed primarily for commercial fruit growers. The apple varieties in the program require professional orchard management to achieve their full commercial potential and are therefore not available to homeowners. Please visit your local orchard to try them out! 

Homeowners may purchase the NorthernGlo™ grape varieties through designated nursery partners; however, commercial sale of fruit requires participation in the SFI licensing program. 

Home gardeners interested in other University of Minnesota fruit varieties should visit the Minnesota Hardy program at https://mnhardy.umn.edu  

Apply for Membership

Complete the SFI membership application using our UMN Express License system. Once approved, you will receive your membership number via email. Your membership number is different from your order number and will follow a format similar to: A-2026-9999.

Obtain Variety Licenses

After your membership is activated, request licenses for the specific apple and/or grape varieties you wish to grow. There is no additional cost to obtain variety licenses once you are a member.

Order Plants from Licensed Nursery Partners

Once your licenses are in place, you may purchase plants from participating SFI nursery partners. Nurseries will verify that you hold the appropriate variety licenses before processing your order.

Access Future Varieties

SFI membership provides access to current and future SFI-released varieties. Members will be notified when new varieties become available for licensing.

Need Assistance?

Contact us anytime at superiorfruit@umn.edu 

The UMN Express License system is the University's official online licensing portal, where businesses and growers can explore and license UMN-developed innovations, including agricultural technologies and plant varieties. It provides information about available technologies, licensing opportunities, and the process for obtaining rights to use University-developed intellectual property.
To become a member of Superior Fruit Innovations you’ll need to:

• Create an Express License system account

• Request a license for SFI membership

• Obtain individual plant variety licenses before you can order from our nursery partners 

See the videos below to help you navigate the process: 

Step 1: Create and Express License System Account (click for video) 

In this video, you'll learn how to set up and activate your user account on the University of Minnesota Express Licensing Portal. As Step 1 of 3 in gaining access to the Superior Fruit Innovations Plant Varieties Catalog, this quick setup gets your profile ready so you can join the Superior Fruit Innovations Plant Grower Network in Video 2.

Step 2: Requesting an SFI Membership (click for video) 

In this video, you’ll learn how to complete your enrollment in the Superior Fruit Innovations Grower Network on the University of Minnesota's Express Licensing portal. As Step 2 of 3 in gaining access to the Superior Fruit Innovations Plant Varieties Catalog, this process prepares you to select individual plant variety licenses in Video 3.

Step 3: Obtaining Individual Plant Variety Licenses (click for video) 

In this video, you'll learn how to navigate the Superior Fruit Innovations Plant catalog to select and obtain individual plant variety licenses. As the final step in gaining access to the Superior Fruit Innovations Plant Varieties Catalog, this completes the licensing process so you can coordinate with authorized nurseries to begin growing your desired fruit varieties.

You Membership Number will be sent to you shortely after signing up in a welcome email from the superiorfruit@umn.edu email account. Please note it takes our internal systems up to 24 hours to generate your Membership Number. Your Membership Number is the agreement number for your SFI Membership Agreement. It will follow the formatting of A-YYYY-#### for example A-2026-9999. If you have misplaced your Membership Number or haven't received a welcome email, please let us know at superiorfruit@umn.edu 

To purchase SFI plants:

• Become an active SFI member.

• Obtain licenses for the varieties you wish to grow.

• Contact a licensed SFI nursery partner to place your order.

The nursery partner will collect the applicable royalty at the time of plant purchase and will manage any warranty or replacement issues according to their nursery policies.

Apple Nursery Partners

• Adams County Nursery

• Cameron Nursery

• Gold Crown Nursery

• Willow Drive Nursery

Grape Nursery Partners

• Double A Vineyards

• Hauser's Superior View Farm

• Northeastern Vine Supply

• Winterhaven Vineyard & Nursery

• Bailey Nursery (homeowner grape sales only)

An SFI membership costs $100 and is valid for 10 years. Membership provides access to all current and future Superior Fruit Innovations™ (SFI) varieties released during your membership term, as well as eligibility to license specific apple and grape varieties, access to marketing resources, and participation in the SFI grower network.

Once you become a member, you may license the varieties that fit your operation and purchase plants through SFI's licensed nursery partners. In addition to the membership fee, a $1 per tree or vine royalty is collected by the nursery at the time of plant purchase. 

Beginning in a plant's fourth growing season, SFI assesses an annual royalty of $1 per tree or vine per year. For example, if you plant 50 trees in spring 2027, annual royalties would begin in 2030, assuming those trees remain in production.

To support royalty tracking and program administration, members are required to submit an annual report that includes:

• Trees or vines purchased and planted during the reporting year

• Plant losses, removals, or replacements

• The total number of living plants by variety

• The number of trees or vines (year four and older)

SFI's goal is to bill royalties after harvest in the year the fruit was grown, helping align royalty payments with grower cash flow. Each year, members will receive an automated reporting request beginning October 1. After reports are reviewed, royalty invoices will be generated and distributed by the University of Minnesota Technology Commercialization Finance Team.

All annual reports and royalty payments are due by December 31.

Members are encouraged to maintain accurate planting and production records throughout the year to ensure timely reporting and accurate royalty calculations. For questions regarding reporting or invoicing, please contact superiorfruit@umn.edu.

Note: Annual reporting and billing procedures may be refined as the SFI program grows. Members will be notified of any updates to the reporting process or deadlines.

Yes. SFI members receive access to branding and marketing resources, including approved trademark names, logos, variety information sheets, and promotional materials. SFI also provides marketing support to help promote SFI varieties to consumers.

Any use of SFI trademarks or logos on packaging, signage, advertising, or promotional materials must comply with the terms of the applicable licensing agreements and require prior approval.

MN55 is marketed under different brand names due to separate commercialization and licensing strategies developed through the University of Minnesota's land-grant mission and industry partnerships. While the fruit variety is genetically the same, branding and marketing may differ by production system or market channel.

‘MN55’ is marketed as First Kiss if the fruit is grown in Minnesota by a Minnesota resident. ‘MN55’ fruit grown outside of Minnesota is marketed as RAVE. 

For additional information, please visit the Minnesota Growers page on the SFI website.

Yes. One of the benefits of SFI membership is access to future University of Minnesota fruit releases. Members will be notified when new varieties become available and will have the opportunity to license them as part of the program.

Replacement policies are managed directly by the nursery from which the plants were purchased. Any eligible replacement plants will be handled according to the nursery's warranty and replacement procedures.

Annual royalties are not charged on plants that have died and are no longer in production.

SFI licenses and memberships do not automatically transfer with the sale of a property or business. The new owner must contact superiorfruit@umn.edu to establish a new agreement or discuss available transfer and termination options.

We encourage both buyers and sellers to contact SFI as early as possible in the transaction process to ensure compliance with licensing requirements.

The SFI variety portfolio may differ between the United States and Canada due to existing licensing agreements, plant material import regulations, intellectual property considerations, and market preferences within each country.

As the Canadian program expands, additional varieties may become available through approved Canadian channels

To cancel your SFI membership or discuss terminating a variety license, please contact:

superiorfruit@umn.edu

Our team will guide you through the appropriate cancellation or termination process.

SFI membership is available to U.S. and Canadian growers interested in producing and marketing University of Minnesota apple and grape varieties. This program is intended for commercial growers who intend to sell fruit. 

An SFI membership provides access to all current and future SFI-released varieties during the membership term, eligibility to license varieties, access to marketing resources, and participation in the SFI grower network.

An SFI membership is valid for 10 years from the date of enrollment.

Minimums: No. The SFI licensing model was designed to be grower-friendly and does not require minimum planting quantities, allowing growers of all sizes to participate. Although our nurseries may have a minimum amount required to ship, shipments may be shared between growers. 

Maximums: No, except for RAVE®. Due to previous agreements with wholesale growers, RAVE®, growers in Superior Fruit Innovations cannot grow over 1,000 trees or sell into wholesale markets. All other SFI varieties have no limit of tree numbers or markets. 

Yes. After becoming an SFI member, you may choose to license only the varieties that fit your operation. Additional varieties can be licensed at any time.

The only variety with a limit on tree quantities and sales is RAVE®, due to previous agreements with wholesale growers. For RAVE®, growers cannot grow over 1,000 trees or sell into wholesale markets. All other SFI varieties have no limit on plant numbers or markets. 

No. Propagation of patented or protected SFI varieties is prohibited unless expressly authorized by the University of Minnesota. Growers must purchase plants through licensed nursery partners.

Annual royalties are based on the number of living trees or vines that have reached their fourth growing season and older. Growers report these figures through the annual reporting process. 

Plants that have been permanently removed, died, or are no longer in production should be reported during annual reporting and will not be subject to future annual royalties. 

Members are required to submit annual reports regarding planting, removals, losses, and productive acreage. Specific reporting dates and instructions will be communicated directly to members each year. In general, SFI bills after each growing season is complete. 

Yes. Growers should identify a primary contact for membership administration, but additional operational contacts may be accommodated. Please contact SFI for details.

Detailed information about fruit characteristics, harvest timing, disease resistance, storage, and marketing attributes can be found on the Apple Varieties and Grape Varieties pages of the SFI website.

Members and interested growers are encouraged to subscribe to the SFI newsletter, which provides updates on new variety releases, grower stories, research developments, and program announcements.