Segment Information (Details) (USD $)			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jan. 28, 2012 PS International North Carolina	Apr. 03, 2010 PS International North Carolina	Oct. 01, 2011 Butterball, LLC Term loan	Mar. 31, 2012 Butterball, LLC Term loan	Mar. 31, 2012 Butterball, LLC Long-term note receivable	Apr. 02, 2011 Commodity Trading and Milling	Mar. 31, 2012 Power MW	Mar. 31, 2012 Power EDM	Apr. 20, 2011 Power EDM MW	Apr. 08, 2011 Power EDN and EDM facility	Mar. 31, 2012 Turkey Butterball, LLC	Apr. 02, 2011 Turkey Butterball, LLC	Dec. 31, 2011 Turkey Butterball, LLC
Segment Information
Payment to increase ownership interest in affiliate			$ 3,660,000
Percentage ownership acquired				50.00%
Ownership after increase (as a percent)			70.00%
Net sales								101,080,000
Inventory write-down								1,698,000
Inventory write-down (in dollars per share)								$ 1.40
Number of floating power generating facilities sold												2
Capacity of EDM leased (in megawatts)											72
Portion of sales price remaining in escrow										1,500,000
Capacity of floating power generating facility newly constructed (in megawatts)									106
Approximate construction cost of new floating power generating facility									136,000,000
Total project costs capitalized to date									126,347,000
Net sales													301,616,000	278,457,000
Operating income (loss)													23,365,000	5,673,000
Total assets													844,155,000		819,618,000
Note receivable from affiliate	113,156,000	110,903,000				9,645,000	103,511,000
Loan provided to affiliate					$ 13,037,000
Interest rate on loan provided (as a percent)						12.00%