Disclosures about reportable segments (Schedule of Operations Data by Segment) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012		Mar. 31, 2013		Mar. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	$ 38,410		$ 54,097		$ 59,766		$ 80,144
Total operating expenses	31,396		39,859		48,966		60,392
Gross profit	7,014		14,238		10,800		19,752
Citrus Groves [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	17,062		25,094		24,455		33,502
Total operating expenses	12,839		13,851		18,699		19,008
Gross profit	4,223		11,243		5,756		14,494
Agricultural Supply Chain Management [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	16,134		25,368		23,404		37,707
Total operating expenses	15,521		24,612		23,036		36,640
Gross profit	613		756		368		1,067
Improved Farmland [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	8,929		7,822		16,919		14,163
Total operating expenses	7,142		6,017		13,016		10,777
Gross profit	1,787		1,805		3,903		3,386
Ranch and Conservation [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	338		751		856		1,407
Total operating expenses	63		250		260		457
Gross profit	275		501		596		950
Other Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	211		142		377		278
Total operating expenses	95		209		200		423
Gross profit	116		(67)		177		(145)
Intra-Company Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	(4,264)		(5,080)		(6,245)		(6,913)
Total operating expenses	(4,264)		(5,080)		(6,245)		(6,913)
Gross profit
Alico Fruit Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	11,870		20,288		17,159		30,794
Total operating expenses	11,257		19,532		16,791		29,727
Gross profit	613		756		368		1,067
Alico Fruit Segment [Member] | Citrus Groves [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Alico Fruit Segment [Member] | Agricultural Supply Chain Management [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	16,134		25,368		23,404		37,707
Total operating expenses	15,521		24,612		23,036		36,640
Gross profit	613		756		368		1,067
Alico Fruit Segment [Member] | Improved Farmland [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Alico Fruit Segment [Member] | Ranch and Conservation [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Alico Fruit Segment [Member] | Other Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Alico Fruit Segment [Member] | Intra-Company Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	(4,264)		(5,080)		(6,245)		(6,913)
Total operating expenses	(4,264)		(5,080)		(6,245)		(6,913)
Gross profit
Citrus Groves Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	17,062		25,094		24,455		33,502
Total operating expenses	12,839		13,851		18,699		19,008
Gross profit	4,223		11,243		5,756		14,494
Citrus Groves Segment [Member] | Citrus Groves [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	17,062		25,094		24,455		33,502
Total operating expenses	12,839		13,851		18,699		19,008
Gross profit	4,223		11,243		5,756		14,494
Citrus Groves Segment [Member] | Agricultural Supply Chain Management [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Citrus Groves Segment [Member] | Improved Farmland [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Citrus Groves Segment [Member] | Ranch and Conservation [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Citrus Groves Segment [Member] | Other Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Citrus Groves Segment [Member] | Intra-Company Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Sugarcane Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	8,664		7,572		16,471		13,659
Total operating expenses	7,077		5,912		12,834		10,551
Gross profit	1,587		1,660		3,637		3,108
Sugarcane Segment [Member] | Citrus Groves [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Sugarcane Segment [Member] | Agricultural Supply Chain Management [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Sugarcane Segment [Member] | Improved Farmland [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	8,664		7,572		16,471		13,659
Total operating expenses	7,077		5,912		12,834		10,551
Gross profit	1,587		1,660		3,637		3,108
Sugarcane Segment [Member] | Ranch and Conservation [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Sugarcane Segment [Member] | Other Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Sugarcane Segment [Member] | Intra-Company Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Cattle Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	11		378		188		600
Total operating expenses	8		168		118		318
Gross profit	3		210		70		282
Cattle Segment [Member] | Citrus Groves [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Cattle Segment [Member] | Agricultural Supply Chain Management [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Cattle Segment [Member] | Improved Farmland [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Cattle Segment [Member] | Ranch and Conservation [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	11		378		188		600
Total operating expenses	8		168		118		318
Gross profit	3		210		70		282
Cattle Segment [Member] | Other Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Cattle Segment [Member] | Intra-Company Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Land leasing and rentals Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	621		625		1,168		1,256
Total operating expenses	192		262		468		516
Gross profit	429		363		700		740
Land leasing and rentals Segment [Member] | Citrus Groves [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Land leasing and rentals Segment [Member] | Agricultural Supply Chain Management [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Land leasing and rentals Segment [Member] | Improved Farmland [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	265		250		448		504
Total operating expenses	65		105		182		226
Gross profit	200		145		266		278
Land leasing and rentals Segment [Member] | Ranch and Conservation [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	247		267		490		542
Total operating expenses	55		82		139		139
Gross profit	192		185		351		403
Land leasing and rentals Segment [Member] | Other Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	109		108		230		210
Total operating expenses	72		75		147		151
Gross profit	37		33		83		59
Land leasing and rentals Segment [Member] | Intra-Company Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses
Gross profit
Other operations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	182		140		325		333
Total operating expenses	23	[1]	134	[1]	56	[1]	272	[1]
Gross profit	159	[1]	6	[1]	269	[1]	61	[1]
Other operations [Member] | Citrus Groves [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses		[1]		[1]		[1]		[1]
Gross profit		[1]		[1]		[1]		[1]
Other operations [Member] | Agricultural Supply Chain Management [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses		[1]		[1]		[1]		[1]
Gross profit		[1]		[1]		[1]		[1]
Other operations [Member] | Improved Farmland [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses		[1]		[1]		[1]		[1]
Gross profit		[1]		[1]		[1]		[1]
Other operations [Member] | Ranch and Conservation [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	80		106		178		265
Total operating expenses		[1]		[1]	3	[1]		[1]
Gross profit	80	[1]	106	[1]	175	[1]	265	[1]
Other operations [Member] | Other Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue	102		34		147		68
Total operating expenses	23	[1]	134	[1]	53	[1]	272	[1]
Gross profit	79	[1]	(100)	[1]	94	[1]	(204)	[1]
Other operations [Member] | Intra-Company Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting, Revenue Reconciling Item [Line Items]
Total operating revenue
Total operating expenses		[1]		[1]		[1]		[1]
Gross profit		[1]		[1]		[1]		[1]

[1] Other operations include the former real estate segment, as well as other operating activities.