Segment Reporting (Details) Assets and Liabilities (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	$ 701,994,000	$ 688,065,000
Consolidated Assets and Liabilities [Abstract]
Increase (decrease) in property and equipment	20,700,000
Increase (decrease) in canola seed inventories	5,900,000
Increase (decrease) in debt	46,500,000
Real Estate Operations
Segment Assets [Abstract]
Increase (decrease) in operating assets	26,500,000
Agribusiness Operations
Segment Assets [Abstract]
Increase (decrease) in operating assets	43,300,000
Corporate
Segment Assets [Abstract]
Increase (decrease) in operating assets	(20,200,000)
Segment, Continuing Operations | Water Resource and Water Storage Operations
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	210,115,000	207,385,000
Segment, Continuing Operations | Real Estate Operations
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	158,273,000	131,788,000
Segment, Continuing Operations | Agribusiness Operations
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	165,919,000	122,664,000
Segment, Continuing Operations | Corporate
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	129,028,000	149,180,000
Segment, Discontinued Operations
Segment Reporting, Asset Reconciling Item
Assets	$ 38,659,000	$ 77,048,000