Notes Payable and Long-Term Debt - Footnote Narrative (Details) (USD $)	Aug. 31, 2013		Aug. 31, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable	$ 889,312,000		$ 803,622,000
Notes payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable, weighted average interest rate	2.00%	[1]	2.58%	[1]
Notes payable | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable	521,864,000	[1]	269,783,000	[1]
Five-year revolving facilities | Line of credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	2,500,000,000
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	0
Additional revolving lines of credit, three year revolving facility | Line of credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	80,000,000
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	0
Committed revolving credit facility | Line of credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	15,000,000
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	0
Uncommitted lines of credit | Line of credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	420,100,000
Other international subsidiaries, lines of credit | Line of credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	99,300,000
Line Of Credit, Collateralized Amount	60,800,000
Credit facilities, commercial paper programs | Line of credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	125,000,000
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	0
Line of credit facility maximum usage allowed to pay principal	200,000,000
Miscellaneous short-term notes payable | Line of credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	2,500,000
Other notes and contracts | Secured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	16,500,000
CHS Capital notes payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable, weighted average interest rate	1.23%	[2]	1.68%	[2]
Notes payable	367,448,000	[2]	533,839,000	[2]
Short-term notes payable, note purchase agreements | Notes Payable, Other Payables | Cofina Funding, LLC
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, amount outstanding	0
Short-term bank loans and notes payable current borrowing capacity	300,000,000
Master participation agreements | Notes Payable, Other Payables
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term bank loans and notes payable current borrowing capacity	223,800,000
Notes payable	30,800,000
Master participation agreements | Notes Payable, Other Payables | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	1.96%
Master participation agreements | Notes Payable, Other Payables | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	2.69%
Recourse loan commitments | Notes Payable, Other Payables
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term bank loans and notes payable current borrowing capacity	68,100,000
Short-term debt, maximum borrowing capacity	300,000,000
Notes payable	45,700,000
Interest rate	1.60%
Short-Term Notes Payable, Surplus Funds Program [Member] | Notes Payable, Other Payables
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable	$ 290,900,000
Short-Term Notes Payable, Surplus Funds Program [Member] | Notes Payable, Other Payables | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	0.80%
Short-Term Notes Payable, Surplus Funds Program [Member] | Notes Payable, Other Payables | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	1.10%

[1] ur primary committed line of credit is a $2.5 billion five-year revolving credit facility expiring in June 2018, with a syndication of domestic and international banks, with no amounts outstanding as of August 31, 2013. We have a committed revolving credit facility dedicated to NCRA in the amount of $15.0 million that expires in December 2014, with no amounts outstanding as of August 31, 2013. We also have a committed revolving credit facility dedicated to CHS Europe S.A. in the amount of $80.0 million that expires in September 2018, with no amounts outstanding as of August 31, 2013.Our wholly-owned subsidiaries, CHS Europe S.A. and CHS Agronegocio Industria e Comercio Ltda (CHS Agronegocio), have uncommitted lines of credit to finance their normal trading activities with $420.1 million outstanding as of August 31, 2013. These lines are collateralized by certain inventories and receivables. In addition, other international subsidiaries had lines of credit totaling $99.3 million outstanding as of August 31, 2013, of which $60.8 million was collateralized. We have two commercial paper programs totaling up to $125.0 million with two banks participating in the revolving credit facilities. Terms of our credit facilities allow a maximum usage of $200.0 million to pay principal under any commercial paper facility. On August 31, 2013 we had no commercial paper outstanding. Miscellaneous short-term notes payable totaled $2.5 million as of August 31, 2013.

[2] Cofina Funding, LLC (Cofina Funding), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CHS Capital, has available credit totaling $300.0 million as of August 31, 2013, under note purchase agreements with various purchasers, through the issuance of short-term notes payable. CHS Capital sells eligible commercial loans receivable it has originated to Cofina Funding, which are then pledged as collateral under the note purchase agreements. The notes payable issued by Cofina Funding bear interest at variable rates based on commercial paper. There were no borrowings by Cofina Funding utilizing the issuance of commercial paper under the note purchase agreements as of August 31, 2013. CHS Capital has available credit under master participation agreements with numerous counterparties. Borrowings under these agreements are accounted for as secured borrowings and bear interest at variable rates ranging from 1.96% to 2.69% as of August 31, 2013. As of August 31, 2013, the total funding commitment under these agreements was $223.8 million, of which $30.8 million was borrowed. CHS Capital sells loan commitments it has originated to ProPartners Financial (ProPartners) on a recourse basis. The total capacity for commitments under the ProPartners program is $300.0 million. The total outstanding commitments under the program totaled $68.1 million as of August 31, 2013, of which $45.7 million was borrowed under these commitments with an interest rate of 1.60%. CHS Capital borrows funds under short-term notes issued as part of a surplus funds program. Borrowings under this program are unsecured and bear interest at variable rates ranging from 0.80% to 1.10% as of August 31, 2013, and are due upon demand. Borrowings under these notes totaled $290.9 million as of August 31, 2013. In October 2013, we entered into a three-year $250.0 million committed revolving credit facility for CHS Agronegocio to provide financing for its working capital needs arising from its purchases and sales of grains, fertilizers and other agricultural products.