Notes Payable and Long-Term Debt - Schedule of Notes Payable and Long-Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Aug. 31, 2015	Aug. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable		$ 1,165,378	$ 1,159,473
Total long-term debt		1,293,360
Capital Lease Obligations		125,894	155,366
Long-term Debt, Fair Value		1,431,117	1,605,625
Less current portion		170,309	201,965
Long-term portion		$ 1,260,808	$ 1,403,660
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable, weighted average interest rate	[1]	2.33%	1.69%
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] | Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member] | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable	[1]	$ 813,717	$ 840,699
CHS Capital notes payable
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes payable, weighted average interest rate	[2]	1.05%	1.07%
Revolving term loans from cooperative and other banks | Line of credit | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		5.59%
Total long-term debt		$ 75,000	$ 105,000
Private placement, payable in equal installments beginning in 2014 through 2018 | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		6.18%
Total long-term debt		$ 240,000	320,000
Private placement, payable in installments through 2018 | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		5.60%
Total long-term debt		$ 23,077	32,308
Private placement, payable in equal installments beginning in 2011 through 2015 | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		5.25%
Total long-term debt		$ 0	25,000
Private placement, note purchase and private shelf agreement with Prudential Capital Group, payable in equal installments beginning in 2014 through 2018 | Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		5.78%
Total long-term debt		$ 30,000	40,000
Private placement, note purchase and private shelf agreement with Prudential Capital Group, payable in equal installments beginning in 2017 through 2021 | Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		4.00%
Total long-term debt		$ 100,000	100,000
Private placement, payable in its entirety in 2019 | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		4.08%
Total long-term debt		$ 132,161	130,840
Private placement, payable in its entirety in 2021 | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		4.52%
Total long-term debt		$ 164,654	160,000
Private placement, payable in its entirety in 2023 | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		4.67%
Total long-term debt		$ 135,422	133,360
Private placement, payable in 2025 80k [Member] | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		3.85%
Total long-term debt		$ 80,000	80,000
Private placement, payable in 2025 100k [Member] | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		3.80%
Total long-term debt		$ 100,000	100,000
Private placement, payable in its entirety in 2026 | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		4.82%
Total long-term debt		$ 80,000	80,000
Private placement, payable in its entirety 2033 [Member] | Unsecured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		4.71%
Total long-term debt		$ 100,000	100,000
Other notes and contracts | Secured debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total long-term debt	[3]	$ 44,909	$ 43,751

[1] On August 31, 2015, our primary committed line of credit was a $2.5 billion five-year, unsecured revolving credit facility with a syndication of domestic and international banks, with no amounts outstanding as of that date. In September 2015 this facility was amended and restated as a five-year, unsecured revolving credit facility with a committed amount of $3.0 billion that expires in September 2020. In addition to our primary revolving line of credit, we have a three-year $250.0 million committed revolving pre-export credit facility for CHS Agronegocio Industria e Comercio Ltda ("CHS Agronegocio"), our wholly-owned subsidiary, to provide financing for its working capital needs arising from its purchases and sales of grains, fertilizers and other agricultural products which expires in October 2016. The outstanding balance on this facility was $200.0 million as of August 31, 2015.As of August 31, 2015, our wholly-owned subsidiaries, CHS Europe S.a.r.l and CHS Agronegocio, had uncommitted lines of credit with $303.4 million outstanding. In addition, our other international subsidiaries had lines of credit with a total of $310.2 million outstanding as of August 31, 2015, of which $216.7 million was collateralized. We have two commercial paper programs with an aggregate capacity of $125.0 million, with two banks participating in our revolving credit facilities. Terms of our credit facilities allow a maximum usage of $100.0 million to pay principal under any commercial paper facility. On August 31, 2015 we had no commercial paper outstanding. Miscellaneous short-term notes payable totaled $0.1 million as of August 31, 2015.

[2] Cofina Funding, LLC ("Cofina Funding"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CHS Capital, has available credit totaling $350.0 million as of August 31, 2015, 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 with a weighted average rate of 1.04% as of August 31, 2015. There were no borrowings by Cofina Funding utilizing the issuance of commercial paper under the note purchase agreements as of August 31, 2015. 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 1.64% to 3.70% as of August 31, 2015. As of August 31, 2015, the total funding commitment under these agreements was $145.7 million, of which $35.9 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 $56.8 million as of August 31, 2015, of which $39.9 million was borrowed under these commitments with an interest rate of 1.62%. 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 0.10% to 0.90% as of August 31, 2015, and are due upon demand. Borrowings under these notes totaled $275.8 million as of August 31, 2015.

[3] Other notes and contracts payable of $0.5 million were collateralized on August 31, 2015.