Business Segments (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($) segment	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments | segment			4
Segment revenues	$ 11,946,000	$ 13,837,000	$ 35,579,000	$ 36,510,000
Profit (Loss) from commercial and resort/residential activities	(3,300,000)	591,000	(3,230,000)	2,004,000
Costs and Expenses	15,487,000	13,465,000	39,402,000	35,338,000
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated joint ventures, net	2,055,000	1,707,000	4,861,000	3,293,000
Real estate - commercial/industrial
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	2,548,000	2,572,000	8,935,000	8,067,000
Costs and Expenses	3,273,000	3,374,000	9,570,000	10,021,000
Real estate - resort/residential
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Costs and Expenses	558,000	565,000	1,885,000	1,716,000
Mineral resources
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	1,322,000	2,393,000	14,174,000	14,801,000
Costs and Expenses	606,000	505,000	7,023,000	5,932,000
Operating Segments | Real estate - commercial/industrial
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	2,548,000	2,572,000	8,935,000	8,067,000
Profit (Loss) from commercial and resort/residential activities	(725,000)	(802,000)	(635,000)	(1,954,000)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated joint ventures, net			4,861,000	3,328,000
Revenues and equity in earnings of unconsolidated joint ventures	1,330,000	905,000	4,226,000	1,374,000
Operating Segments | Real estate - commercial/industrial | Commercial leases
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	1,925,000	1,617,000	5,720,000	4,338,000
Operating Segments | Real estate - commercial/industrial | Grazing leases
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	26,000	351,000	938,000	1,064,000
Operating Segments | Real estate - commercial/industrial | All other land management ancillary services
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	597,000	604,000	2,277,000	2,665,000
Operating Segments | Mineral resources
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	1,322,000	2,393,000	14,174,000	14,801,000
Profit (Loss) from commercial and resort/residential activities	716,000	1,888,000	7,151,000	8,869,000
Operating Segments | Mineral resources | Oil and gas
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	640,000	1,778,000	2,333,000	5,301,000
Operating Segments | Mineral resources | Water sales
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	0	0	10,165,000	7,703,000
Operating Segments | Mineral resources | Rock aggregate
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	282,000	294,000	629,000	885,000
Operating Segments | Mineral resources | Cement
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	373,000	284,000	916,000	763,000
Operating Segments | Mineral resources | Land lease for oil exploration
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	27,000	37,000	131,000	149,000
Operating Segments | Farming Segment
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	8,076,000	8,872,000	12,470,000	13,642,000
Profit (Loss) from commercial and resort/residential activities	(47,000)	2,783,000	760,000	4,261,000
Operating Segments | Farming Segment | Total crop proceeds
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	8,038,000	8,796,000	12,385,000	13,415,000
Operating Segments | Farming Segment | Almonds
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	3,687,000	3,201,000	7,066,000	5,297,000
Operating Segments | Farming Segment | Pistachios
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	2,136,000	4,118,000	2,899,000	6,237,000
Operating Segments | Farming Segment | Wine grapes
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	1,986,000	1,293,000	1,986,000	1,293,000
Operating Segments | Farming Segment | Hay
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	229,000	184,000	434,000	588,000
Operating Segments | Farming Segment | Other farming revenues
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Segment revenues	$ 38,000	$ 76,000	$ 85,000	$ 227,000