Inventories (Details) (USD $)	Nov. 30, 2012	Aug. 31, 2012	Nov. 30, 2011
Inventories
Sugar, Agri-Products, and Sugarbeet Seed	$ 350,187,000	$ 193,352,000	$ 271,873,000
Unprocessed Sugarbeets	487,151,000	11,575,000	380,312,000
Operating Supplies and Maintenance Parts	64,568,000	67,759,000	66,111,000
Total Inventories	901,906,000	272,686,000	718,296,000
Reserve for inventory obsolescence	$ 17,800,000	$ 16,900,000	$ 15,400,000