RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS	12 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2017
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS	13. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS GFE Corn Storage and Grain Handling Agreement GFE had a corn storage and grain handling agreement with Farmers Cooperative Elevator (“FCE”), a member of GFE. Under the agreement, GFE had agreed to purchase all of the corn needed for the operation of the plant from FCE. The price of the corn purchased was the bid price FCE establishes for the plant plus a set fee of per bushel. On February 27, 2017, GFE and FCE executed an amendment to the corn storage and grain handling agreement with an effective date of February 21, 2017. Pursuant to the terms of the amendment, the parties agreed to amend the corn storage and grain handling agreement to accelerate the termination date of the agreement to midnight August 31, 2017. Additionally, GFE began posting bids for the purchase of corn beginning June 1, 2017 and thereafter, but could not accept delivery of corn at its Granite Falls, Minnesota plant until September 1, 2017. In August 2017, in exchange for the early termination, GFE paid an early termination fee to FCE of approximately $255,000. Prior to the amendment, the termination date of the corn storage and grain handling agreement was set to expire on November 2017. GFE purchased approximately $51,861,000 of corn from FCE during fiscal 2017, of which approximately $0 is included in corn payable at October 31, 2017. GFE purchased approximately $75,865,000 of corn from FCE during fiscal 2016, of which approximately $5,358,000 is included in corn payable to FCE at October 31, 2016. GFE purchased approximately $75,018,000 of corn from FCE during fiscal 2015, of which approximately $1,486,000 is included in corn payable to FCE at October 31, 2015. GFE purchased corn from board members of approximately $945,000 for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, of which approximately $8,000 is included in accounts payable at October 31, 2017. HLBE Corn Purchases - Members HLBE purchased corn from its board members of approximately $9,811,000, $15,008,000, and $11,032,000 during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015. Agrinatural During 2013, HLBE borrowed $300,000 from the non-controlling interest member of Agrinatural. Total interest paid in relation to this note payable amounted to approximately $6,000, $20,000, and $16,000 for each of the years ended October 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015. Swan Engineering Agrinatural has management and operating agreement with Swan Engineering, Inc. (“SEI”). SEI, together with an unrelated third party owns Rural Energy Solutions, LLC (“RES”), the 27% minority owner of Agrinatural. Under the management and operating agreement, SEI provides Agrinatural with day-to-day management and operation of Agrinatural’s pipeline distribution business. In exchange for these services, Agrinatural pays SEI an aggregate management fee equal to the fixed monthly base fee plus the variable customer management fee based on the number of customers served on the pipeline less the agreed monthly fee reduction of $4,500. For the year ended October 31, 2017, Agrinatural paid approximately $36,000 and $157,000 for the monthly base fee and variable customer management fee, respectively. For the year ended October 31, 2016, Agrinatural paid approximately $32,000 and $149,000 for the monthly base fee and variable customer management fee, respectively. For the year ended October 31, 2015, the Company paid approximately $18,000 and $83,000 for the monthly base fee and variable customer management fee, respectively. The management and operating agreement with SEI expires July 1, 2019 unless earlier terminated for cause as defined in the agreement. Agrinatural also has project management agreement with SEI. Pursuant to the project management agreement, SEI supervises all of Agrinatural’s pipeline construction projects. These projects are constructed by unrelated third-party pipeline construction companies. Under the project management agreement, Agrinatural pays SEI a total of 10% of the actual capital expenditures for construction projects approved by Agrinatural’s board of managers, excluding capitalized marketing costs. For the year ended October 31, 2017, Agrinatural incurred approximately $44,000 for project management and capital work fees. For the year ended October 31, 2016, Agrinatural paid approximately $68,000 for project management and capital work fees. For the year ended October 31, 2015, the Company paid approximately $19,000 for project management and capital work fees. The project management with SEI expires June 30, 2019 unless earlier terminated for cause as defined in the agreement. Amounts due to SEI from Agrinatural included in accounts payable on the consolidated balance sheets totaled approximately $16,000 and $131,000 at October 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively

13. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

GFE Corn Storage and Grain Handling Agreement

GFE had a corn storage and grain handling agreement with Farmers Cooperative Elevator (“FCE”), a member of GFE. Under the agreement, GFE had agreed to purchase all of the corn needed for the operation of the plant from FCE. The price of the corn purchased was the bid price FCE establishes for the plant plus a set fee of per bushel.

On February 27, 2017, GFE and FCE executed an amendment to the corn storage and grain handling agreement with an effective date of February 21, 2017. Pursuant to the terms of the amendment, the parties agreed to amend the corn storage and grain handling agreement to accelerate the termination date of the agreement to midnight August 31, 2017. Additionally, GFE began posting bids for the purchase of corn beginning June 1, 2017 and thereafter, but could not accept delivery of corn at its Granite Falls, Minnesota plant until September 1, 2017. In August 2017, in exchange for the early termination, GFE paid an early termination fee to FCE of approximately $255,000. Prior to the amendment, the termination date of the corn storage and grain handling agreement was set to expire on November 2017.

GFE purchased approximately $51,861,000 of corn from FCE during fiscal 2017, of which approximately $0 is included in corn payable at October 31, 2017. GFE purchased approximately $75,865,000 of corn from FCE during fiscal 2016, of which approximately $5,358,000 is included in corn payable to FCE at October 31, 2016. GFE purchased approximately $75,018,000 of corn from FCE during fiscal 2015, of which approximately $1,486,000 is included in corn payable to FCE at October 31, 2015.

GFE purchased corn from board members of approximately $945,000 for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2017, of which approximately $8,000 is included in accounts payable at October 31, 2017.

HLBE Corn Purchases - Members

HLBE purchased corn from its board members of approximately $9,811,000, $15,008,000, and $11,032,000 during the fiscal years ended October 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015.

Agrinatural

During 2013, HLBE borrowed $300,000 from the non-controlling interest member of Agrinatural. Total interest paid in relation to this note payable amounted to approximately $6,000, $20,000, and $16,000 for each of the years ended October 31, 2017, 2016, and 2015.

Swan Engineering

Agrinatural has management and operating agreement with Swan Engineering, Inc. (“SEI”). SEI, together with an unrelated third party owns Rural Energy Solutions, LLC (“RES”), the 27% minority owner of Agrinatural. Under the management and operating agreement, SEI provides Agrinatural with day-to-day management and operation of Agrinatural’s pipeline distribution business. In exchange for these services, Agrinatural pays SEI an aggregate management fee equal to the fixed monthly base fee plus the variable customer management fee based on the number of customers served on the pipeline less the agreed monthly fee reduction of $4,500. For the year ended October 31, 2017, Agrinatural paid approximately $36,000 and $157,000 for the monthly base fee and variable customer management fee, respectively. For the year ended October 31, 2016, Agrinatural paid approximately $32,000 and $149,000 for the monthly base fee and variable customer management fee, respectively. For the year ended October 31, 2015, the Company paid approximately $18,000 and $83,000 for the monthly base fee and variable customer management fee, respectively. The management and operating agreement with SEI expires July 1, 2019 unless earlier terminated for cause as defined in the agreement.

Agrinatural also has project management agreement with SEI. Pursuant to the project management agreement, SEI supervises all of Agrinatural’s pipeline construction projects. These projects are constructed by unrelated third-party pipeline construction companies. Under the project management agreement, Agrinatural pays SEI a total of 10% of the actual capital expenditures for construction projects approved by Agrinatural’s board of managers, excluding capitalized marketing costs. For the year ended October 31, 2017, Agrinatural incurred approximately $44,000 for project management and capital work fees. For the year ended October 31, 2016, Agrinatural paid approximately $68,000 for project management and capital work fees. For the year ended October 31, 2015, the Company paid approximately $19,000 for project management and capital work fees. The project management with SEI expires June 30, 2019 unless earlier terminated for cause as defined in the agreement.

Amounts due to SEI from Agrinatural included in accounts payable on the consolidated balance sheets totaled approximately $16,000 and $131,000 at October 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively