Segment Reporting (Details) Assets and Liabilities (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	$ 696,964,000	$ 684,151,000
Consolidated Assets and Liabilities [Abstract]
Increase (decrease) in property and equipment	14,000,000
Increase (decrease) in canola seed inventories	6,800,000
Increase (decrease) in debt	16,600,000
Water Resource and Water Storage Operations
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	206,577,000	207,385,000
Real Estate Operations
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	140,894,000	131,788,000
Segment Assets [Abstract]
Increase (decrease) in operating assets	9,100,000
Agribusiness Operations
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	143,664,000	122,664,000
Segment Assets [Abstract]
Increase (decrease) in operating assets	21,000,000
Insurance Operations in Run Off
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	89,460,000	88,048,000
Corporate
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	116,369,000	134,266,000
Segment Assets [Abstract]
Increase (decrease) in operating assets	$ (17,900,000)