Lake Area Corn Processors (LKCRU) 10-K26 Feb 152014 FY Annual reportFinancial data

Company Profile

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Feb. 26, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Registrant Name	LAKE AREA CORN PROCESSORS LLC
Entity Central Index Key	1156174
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	31-Dec-14
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2014
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		29,620,000
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Public Float			$0

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$6,104,383	$20,706,458
Accounts receivable	1,025,685	3,522,497
Other receivables	1,381,468	17,707
Inventory	6,106,646	6,874,207
Derivative financial instruments	1,457,459	1,502,574
Prepaid expenses	306,351	165,580
Total current assets	16,381,992	32,789,023
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT
Land	676,097	676,097
Land improvements	2,739,818	2,665,358
Buildings	9,655,192	8,277,636
Equipment	46,138,840	39,861,906
Construction in progress	626,085	199,302
Gross Property and Equipment	59,836,032	51,680,299
Less accumulated depreciation	-31,486,760	-28,722,235
Net property and equipment	28,349,272	22,958,064
OTHER ASSETS
Goodwill	10,395,766	10,395,766
Investments	23,214,456	16,078,269
Other	233,489	356,683
Total other assets	33,843,711	26,830,718
TOTAL ASSETS	78,574,975	82,577,805
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Outstanding checks in excess of bank balance	246,847	0
Accounts payable	7,407,491	11,953,957
Accrued liabilities	511,613	613,638
Derivative financial instruments	1,447,513	978,935
Current portion of notes payable	13,708	1,281,760
Other	120,635	123,741
Total current liabilities	9,747,807	14,952,031
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES
Notes payable, net of current maturities	1,000	8,764,708
Other	225,940	405,884
Total long-term liabilities	226,940	9,170,592
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
MEMBERS' EQUITY (29,620,000 units issued and outstanding)	68,600,228	58,455,182
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND MEMBERS' EQUITY	$78,574,975	$82,577,805

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets Parenthetical	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
MEMBERS' EQUITY, units issued and outstanding	29,620,000	29,620,000

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
REVENUES	$124,469,094	$145,412,968	$132,284,993
COSTS OF REVENUES	89,068,125	129,091,165	130,851,882
GROSS PROFIT	35,400,969	16,321,803	1,433,111
OPERATING EXPENSES	3,550,980	3,511,026	2,864,188
INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS	31,849,989	12,810,777	-1,431,077
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)
Interest and other income	103,237	70,530	36,477
Equity in net income of investments	8,041,347	506,790	175,266
Interest expense	-187,254	-83,250	-58,147
Total other income (expense)	7,957,330	494,070	153,596
NET INCOME (LOSS)	$39,807,319	$13,304,847	($1,277,481)
BASIC AND DILUTED EARNINGS (LOSS) PER UNIT	$1.34	$0.45	($0.04)
Weighted average number of units outstanding for the calculation of basic & diluted earnings (loss) per unit	29,620,000	29,620,000	29,620,000

Consolidated_Statement_of_Chan

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Members' Equity (USD $)	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent				$58,455,182				$51,074,335				$53,694,694	$58,455,182	$51,074,335	$53,694,694
Net Income (Loss)	8,620,965	8,959,690	10,252,361	11,974,303	7,425,548	1,475,212	1,458,043	2,946,044	-1,215,500	700,582	-1,331,213	568,650	39,807,319	13,304,847	-1,277,481
Equity adjustment in investee													0	0	138,122
Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent	68,600,228				58,455,182				51,074,335				68,600,228	58,455,182	51,074,335
Distributions to members													($29,662,273)	($5,924,000)	($1,481,000)

Consolidated_Statement_of_Chan1

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Members' Equity Parenthetical (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Distributions Paid, Per Unit	$1	$0.05	$0.40

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net Income (Loss)	$39,807,319	$13,304,847	($1,277,481)
Changes to net income (loss) not affecting cash and cash equivalents
Depreciation and amortization	2,943,796	2,827,141	2,662,731
Equity in net income of investments	-8,041,347	-506,790	-175,266
(Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment	0	-27,800	97,031
(Increase) decrease in
Receivables	2,493,211	802,525	88,952
Inventory	767,561	4,678,623	-872,379
Prepaid expenses	-140,771	-27,590	-11,959
Derivative financial instruments	513,693	2,263,195	-3,076,927
Other assets	-26,686	-456,146	0
Accounts payable	-4,726,410	-1,564,261	2,594,059
Accrued and other liabilities	-105,131	744,719	-460,393
NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	33,485,235	22,038,463	-431,632
INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Proceeds from sale of property and equipment	0	27,800	0
Purchase of property and equipment	-8,185,124	-513,008	-1,162,637
Purchase of investments	-455,000	-12,186,000	-100,000
NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES	-8,640,124	-12,671,208	-1,262,637
FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Increase in outstanding checks in excess of bank balance	246,847	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of notes payable	0	10,001,000	0
Principal payments on notes payable	-10,031,760	-400,698	-387,489
Distributions to members	-29,662,273	-5,924,000	-1,481,000
NET CASH PROVIDED BY (USED FOR) FINANCING ACTIVITIES	-39,447,186	3,676,302	-1,868,489
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	-14,602,075	13,043,557	-3,562,758
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT BEGINNING OF PERIOD	20,706,458	7,662,901	11,225,659
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT END OF PERIOD	6,104,383	20,706,458	7,662,901
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
Cash paid during the period for interest, net of capitalized interest of $95,711, $0 and $0 in 2014, 2013 and 2012 respectively	236,524	47,709	58,412
SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULE OF NONCASH OPERATING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Equity adjustment in investee	$0	$0	$138,122

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas1

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Parenthetical (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Parenthetical (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Interest Paid, Capitalized	$95,771	$0	$0

Nature_of_Operations

Nature of Operations	12 Months Ended
Nature of Operations	Dec. 31, 2014
Nature of Operations [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	NATURE OF OPERATIONS

	Principal Business Activity

	Lake Area Corn Processors, LLC and subsidiary (the Company) is a South Dakota limited liability company.

	The Company owns and manages Dakota Ethanol, LLC (Dakota Ethanol), a 40 million-gallon (annual nameplate capacity) ethanol plant located near Wentworth, South Dakota. Dakota Ethanol sells ethanol and related products to customers located in North America.

	In addition, the Company has investment interests in five companies in related industries. See note 4 for further details.

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements of the Company include the accounts of its wholly owned subsidiary, Dakota Ethanol. All significant inter-company transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue from the production of ethanol and related products is recorded when title transfers to customers. Generally, ethanol and related products are shipped FOB shipping point, based on written contract terms between Dakota Ethanol and its customers. Collectability of revenue is reasonably assured based on historical evidence of collectability between Dakota Ethanol and its customers. Interest income is recognized as earned.

Shipping costs incurred by the Company in the sale of ethanol, dried distiller's grains and corn oil are not specifically identifiable and as a result, revenue from the sale of those products is recorded based on the net selling price reported to the Company from the marketer.

Cost of Revenues

The primary components of cost of revenues from the production of ethanol and related co-product are corn expense, energy expense (natural gas and electricity), raw materials expense (chemicals and denaturant), and direct labor costs.

Shipping costs on modified and wet distiller’s grains are included in cost of revenues.

Inventory Valuation

Ethanol inventory, raw materials, work-in-process, and parts inventory are valued using methods which approximate the lower of cost (first-in, first-out) or market. Distillers grains and related products are stated at net realizable value. In the valuation of inventories and purchase commitments, market is based on current replacement values except that it does not exceed net realizable values and is not less than net realizable values reduced by allowances for approximate normal profit margin.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of demand accounts and other accounts that provide withdrawal privileges.

Receivables and Credit Policies

Accounts receivable are uncollateralized customer obligations due under normal trade terms requiring payment within fifteen days from the invoice date. Unpaid accounts receivable with invoice dates over thirty days old bear interest at 1.5% per month. Accounts receivable are stated at the amount billed to the customer. Payments of accounts receivable are allocated to the specific invoices identified on the customer’s remittance advice or, if unspecified, are applied to the earliest unpaid invoices.

The carrying amount of trade receivables is reduced by a valuation allowance that reflects management’s best estimate of the amounts that will not be collected. Management reviews all trade receivable balances that exceed thirty days from the invoice date and based on an assessment of current creditworthiness, estimates the portion, if any, of the balance that will not be collected. The valuation allowance was $51,791 and $66,563 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Investment in commodities contracts, derivative instruments and hedging activities

The Company is exposed to certain risks related to our ongoing business operations. The primary risks that the Company manages by using forward or derivative instruments are price risk on anticipated purchases of corn and natural gas and the sale of ethanol, distillers grains and distillers corn oil.

The Company is subject to market risk with respect to the price and availability of corn, the principal raw material the Company uses to produce ethanol and ethanol by-products. In general, rising corn prices result in lower profit margins and, therefore, represent unfavorable market conditions. This is especially true when market conditions do not allow us to pass along increased corn costs to our customers. The availability and price of corn is subject to wide fluctuations due to unpredictable factors such as weather conditions, farmer planting decisions, governmental policies with respect to agriculture and international trade and global demand and supply.

Certain contracts that literally meet the definition of a derivative may be exempted from derivative accounting as normal purchases or normal sales. Normal purchases and normal sales are contracts that provide for the purchase or sale of something other than a financial instrument or derivative instrument that will be delivered in quantities expected to be used or sold over a reasonable period in the normal course of business. Contracts that meet the requirements of normal purchases or sales are documented as normal and exempted from the accounting and reporting requirements of derivative accounting.

The Company does not apply the normal purchase and sales exemption for forward corn purchase contacts. As of December 31, 2014, the Company is committed to purchasing approximately 4.6 million bushels of corn on a forward contract basis with an average price of $3.80 per bushel. The total corn purchase contracts represent 26% of the projected annual plant corn usage.

The Company enters into firm-price purchase commitments with natural gas suppliers under which the Company agrees to buy natural gas at a price set in advance of the actual delivery of that natural gas to us. Under these arrangements, the Company assumes the risk of a price decrease in the market price of natural gas between the time this price is fixed and the time the natural gas is delivered. At December 31, 2014, the Company is committed to purchasing approximately 680,000 MMBtu's of natural gas with an average price of $3.44 per MMBtu. The Company accounts for these transactions as normal purchases, and accordingly, does not mark these transactions to market. The natural gas purchases represent approximately 45% of the projected annual plant requirements.

The Company enters into firm-price sales commitments with distillers grains customers under which the Company agrees to sell distillers grains at a price set in advance of the actual delivery of the distillers grains to them. Under these arrangements, the Company assumes the risk of a price increase in the market price of distillers grain between the time this price is fixed and the time the distillers grains are delivered. At December 31, 2014, the Company is committed to selling approximately 33,000 dry equivalent tons of distillers grains with an average price of $102 per ton. The Company accounts for these transactions as normal sales, and accordingly, do not mark these transactions to market. The distillers grains sales represent approximately 23% of the projected annual plant production.

The Company enters into firm-price sales commitments with distillers corn oil customers under which the Company agrees to sell distillers corn oil at a price set in advance of the actual delivery of the distillers corn oil to them. Under these arrangements, the Company assumes the risk of a price increase in the market price of distillers corn oil between the time this price is fixed and the time the distillers corn oil is delivered. At December 31, 2014, the Company is committed to selling approximately 1,438,000 pounds of distillers corn oil with an average price of $.30 per pound. The Company accounts for these transactions as normal sales, and accordingly, do not mark these transactions to market. The distillers corn oil sales represent approximately 14% of the projected annual plant production.

The Company does not have any firm-priced sales commitments for ethanol as of December 31, 2014.

The Company enters into short-term forward, option and futures contracts for corn and natural gas as a means of managing exposure to changes in commodity and energy prices. The Company enters into short-term forward, option and futures contracts for sales of ethanol to manage exposure to changes in energy prices. All of the Company's derivatives are designated as non-hedge derivatives, and accordingly are recorded at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. Although the contracts are considered economic hedges of specified risks, they are not designated as and accounted for as hedging instruments.

As part of our trading activity, The Company uses futures and option contracts offered through regulated commodity exchanges to reduce risk of loss in the market value of inventories. To reduce that risk, the Company generally takes positions using forward and futures contracts and options.

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments at December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 were as follows:

Balance Sheet Classification

31-Dec-14

31-Dec-13

Forward contracts in gain position

105,813

—

Futures contracts in gain position

9,112

249,688

Futures contracts in loss position

(109,200

)

—

Total forward and futures contracts

5,725

249,688

Cash held by broker

1,451,734

1,252,886

Current Assets

1,457,459

1,502,574

Forward contracts in loss position

(Current Liabilities)

(1,447,513

)

(978,935

)

Futures contracts and cash held by broker are all with one party and the right of offset exists. Therefore, on the balance sheet, these items are netted in one balance regardless of position.

Forward contracts are with multiple parties and the right of offset does not exist. Therefore, these contracts are reported at the gross amounts on the balance sheet.

Realized and unrealized gains and losses related to derivative contracts related to corn and natural gas purchases are included as a component of cost of revenues and derivative contracts related to ethanol sales are included as a component of revenues in the accompanying financial statements.

Statement of Operations

Years Ended December 31,

Classification

2014

2013

2012

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) related to purchase contracts:

Futures contracts

Cost of Revenues

1,249,072

1,142,170

(4,076,209

)

Forward contracts

Cost of Revenues

(3,231,490

)

(3,417,362

)

1,065,793

Investments

The Company has investment interests in four companies in related industries. All of these interests are at ownership shares less than 20%. These investments are flow-through entities and are being accounted for by the equity method of accounting under which the Company’s share of net income is recognized as income in the Company’s statements of operations and added to the investment account. Distributions or dividends received from the investments are treated as a reduction of the investment account. The Company consistently follows the practice of recognizing the net income based on the most recent reliable data.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates include the fair value of derivative financial instruments, lower of cost or market accounting for inventory and forward purchase contracts and goodwill impairment evaluation.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

The Company’s cash balances are maintained in bank depositories and regularly exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in connection with these balances.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is stated at cost. Significant additions and betterments are capitalized, while expenditures for maintenance, repairs and minor renewals are charged to operations when incurred. Depreciation on assets placed in service is computed using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives as follows:

Minimum

Maximum

Land improvements

40 years

Equipment

5 years

20 years

Buildings

40 years

Equipment relates to two general categories: mechanical equipment and administrative and maintenance equipment. Mechanical equipment generally relates to equipment for handling inventories and the production of ethanol and related products, with useful lives of 15 to 20 years, including boilers, cooling towers, grain bins, centrifuges, conveyors, fermentation tanks, pumps and drying equipment. Administrative and maintenance equipment is equipment with useful lives of 5 to 15 years, including vehicles, computer systems, security equipment, testing devices and shop equipment.

The Company reviews its property and equipment for impairment whenever events indicate that the carrying amount of an asset group may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recorded when the sum of the future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the asset group. An impairment loss is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds its fair value. No impairment has been identified.

Goodwill

Annually, as well as when an event triggering impairment may have occurred, the Company performs an impairment test on goodwill. The first step tests for impairment, while the second step, if necessary, measures the impairment. The Company performs the annual analysis on December 31 of each fiscal year. The Company determined that there was no impairment to our goodwill at December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Earnings Per Unit

For purposes of calculating basic earnings per unit, units issued are considered outstanding on the effective date of issuance. Diluted earnings per unit are calculated by including dilutive potential equity units in the denominator. There were no dilutive equity units for the years ending December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012.

Income Taxes

The Company is taxed as a limited liability company under the Internal Revenue Code. The income of the Company flows through to the members to be taxed at the member level rather than the corporate level. Accordingly, the Company has no tax liability.

Management has evaluated the Company’s tax positions under the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued guidance on accounting for uncertainty in income taxes and concluded that the Company had taken no uncertain tax positions that require adjustment to the financial statements to comply with the provisions of this guidance. Generally, the Company is no longer subject to income tax examinations by the U.S. federal, state or local authorities for the years before 2011.

Environmental Liabilities

The Company’s operations are subject to environmental laws and regulations adopted by various governmental authorities in the jurisdictions in which it operates. These laws require the Company to investigate and remediate the effects of the release or disposal of materials at its locations. Accordingly, the Company has adopted policies, practices and procedures in the areas of pollution control, occupational health and the production, handling, storage and use of hazardous materials to prevent material environmental or other damage, and to limit the financial liability which could result from such events. Environmental liabilities are recorded when the Company’s liability is probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated.

Operating Segment

The Company uses the “management approach” for reporting information about segments in annual and interim financial statements. The management approach is based on the way the chief operating decision-maker organizes segments within a company for making operating decisions and assessing performance. Reportable segments are based on products and services, geography, legal structure, management structure and any other manner in which management disaggregates a company. Based on the “management approach” model, the Company has determined that its business is comprised of a single operating segment.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), requiring an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The updated standard will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective and permits the use of either a full retrospective or retrospective with cumulative effect transition method. Early adoption is not permitted. The updated standard becomes effective for the Company in the first quarter of fiscal year 2017. The Company has not yet selected a transition method and is currently evaluating the effect that the updated standard will have on the consolidated financial statements.

Inventory

Inventory	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Inventory [Abstract]
Inventory	INVENTORY

	Inventory consisted of the following as of December 31, 2014 and 2013:



		31-Dec-14		31-Dec-13
	Raw materials	$	3,815,780	$	3,645,811

	Finished goods	689,276		1,544,426

	Work in process	571,521		748,965

	Parts inventory	1,030,069		935,005

		$	6,106,646	$	6,874,207

Investments

Investments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Investments [Abstract]
Investments	INVESTMENTS

	Dakota Ethanol has a 7% investment interest in the Company’s ethanol marketer, Renewable Products Marketing Group, LLC (RPMG). The net income which is reported in the Company’s statements of operations for RPMG is based on RPMG’s September 30, 2014 audited results. The carrying amount of the Company’s investment was approximately $1,748,000 and $2,793,000 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The carrying amount of the investment was reduced by a distribution declared in December 2014 of approximately $1,360,000.

	Dakota Ethanol has a 9% investment interest in Prairie Gold Venture Partnership, LLC (PGVP), a venture capital fund investing in cellulosic ethanol production. The net income which is reported in the Company’s statements of operations for PGVP is based on PGVP’s June 30, 2014 and 2013 unaudited interim results. The carrying amount of the Company’s investment was approximately $1,174,000 and $1,174,000 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

	Dakota Ethanol has a 10% investment interest in Lawrenceville Tanks, LLC (LT), a partnership to construct and operate an ethanol storage terminal in Georgia. The net income which is reported in the Company’s statements of operations for LT is based on LT’s December 31, 2014 unaudited results. The carrying amount of the Company’s investment was approximately $540,000 and $110,000 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 respectively.

	Lake Area Corn Processors has a 10% investment interest in Guardian Hankinson, LLC (GH), a partnership to operate an ethanol plant in North Dakota. The net income which is reported in the Company’s statements of operations for GH is based on GH’s December 31, 2014 audited results. The carrying amount of the Company’s investment was approximately $19,720,000 and $12,000,000 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 respectively.

	Lake Area Corn Processors has a 17% investment interest in Guardian Energy Management, LLC (GEM), a partnership to provide management services to ethanol plants. The net income which is reported in the Company’s statements of operations for GEM is based on GEM’s December 31, 2014 unaudited interim results. The carrying amount of the Company’s investment was approximately $33,000 as of December 31, 2014.

	Condensed, combined unaudited financial information of the Company's investments in RPMG, PGVP, LT, GH and GEM are as follows:


	Balance Sheet	12/31/14		12/31/13		12/31/12

	Current assets	$	209,600,962	$	169,157,773	$	138,356,633

	Other assets	176,468,346		185,165,603		11,788,613

	Current liabilities	95,234,540		119,337,840		104,560,190

	Long-term liabilities	34,280,219		67,216,061		—

	Member's equity	256,554,549		167,769,475		45,585,056

	Revenue	320,484,814		25,403,155		11,768,851

	Gross Profit	105,589,056		15,966,038		11,767,950

	Net Income	79,122,028		7,891,408		2,398,798


	The following table shows the condensed financial information of Guardian Hankinson, which represents greater than 10% of the Company's net income for the year ended December 31, 2014.


	Balance Sheet	12/31/14		12/31/13
	Current assets	$	90,121,911	$	29,908,994

	Other assets	157,660,672		171,981,431

	Current liabilities	16,384,133		14,674,364

	Long-term liabilities	34,264,219		67,216,061

	Members' equity	197,134,231		120,000,000

	Revenue	307,142,125		12,575,020

	Gross Profit	93,397,938		3,139,877

	Net Income	75,078,238		2,055,993


	The Company recorded equity in net income of approximately $7,719,000 and $0 from GH for the years ended December 31, 2014, and 2013 respectively. 2013 was the initial investment year for GH. The Company recorded equity in net income of approximately $322,000, $507,000 and $175,000 from our other investments for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 respectively. The Company has undistributed net earnings of investees of approximately $8,880,000 and $2,188,000 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Revolving_Operating_Note

Revolving Operating Note	12 Months Ended
Revolving Operating Note	Dec. 31, 2014
Short Term Note Payable [Abstract]
Short Term Note Payable	REVOLVING OPERATING NOTE

	On November 11, 2014, Dakota Ethanol executed a revolving promissory note from Farm Credit Services of America (FCSA) in the amount up to $10,000,000 or the amount available in accordance with the borrowing base calculation. Interest on the outstanding principal balances will accrue at 300 basis points above the 1 month LIBOR rate and is not subject to a floor. The rate was 3.15% at December 31, 2014. There is a non-use fee of 0.25% on the unused portion of the $10,000,000 availability. The note is collateralized by the ethanol plant and equipment, its accounts receivable and inventory. The note expires on November 1, 2016. On December 31, 2014, Dakota Ethanol had $0 outstanding and $0 available to be drawn on the revolving promissory note under the borrowing base.

Long_Term_Notes_Payable

Long Term Notes Payable	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Long Term Note Payable [Abstract]
Long Term Notes Payable	LONG-TERM NOTES PAYABLE

	Dakota Ethanol has a long-term note payable with FCSA. As part of the note payable agreement, Dakota Ethanol is subject to certain restrictive covenants establishing financial reporting requirements, distribution and capital expenditure limits, minimum debt service coverage ratios and working capital requirements. The note is collateralized by the ethanol plant and equipment, its accounts receivable and inventory.

	On November 11, 2014, Dakota Ethanol executed a revolving promissory note from FCSA in the amount of $15,000,000. The amount Dakota Ethanol can borrow on the note decreases by $750,000 semi-annually starting on April 1, 2015 until the maximum balance reaches $7.5 million on October 1, 2019. The note matures on October 1, 2024. Interest on the outstanding principal balance will accrue at 325 basis points above the 1 month LIBOR rate and is not subject to a floor. The rate was 3.40% at December 31, 2014. The note contains a non-use fee of 0.5% on the unused portion of the note. On December 31, 2014, Dakota Ethanol had $1,000 outstanding and $14,999,000 available to be drawn on the note.

	Prior to November 11, 2014, Dakota Ethanol had two long-term notes payable with FCSA. A revolving promissory note in the amount of $5,000,000 and a term note in the amount of $10,000,000. On December 31, 2013, Dakota Ethanol had $1,000 outstanding and $4,999,000 available to be drawn on the revolving promissory note and $10,000,000 outstanding on the term note.

	As of December 31, 2014, Dakota Ethanol was out of compliance with certain covenants related to the notes held by FCSA. FCSA has granted Dakota Ethanol a waiver of the minimum borrowing base covenant and the post-distribution working capital covenant as of December 31, 2014.

	The balances of the notes payable as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 are as follows:


		2014			2013

	Note payable - FCSA	$	1,000		$	10,001,000

	Note payable - Other	13,708			45,468

		14,708			10,046,468

	Less current portion	(13,708		)	(1,281,760		)

		$	1,000		$	8,764,708


	Minimum principal payments for the next five years are as follows:


	Years Ending December 31,	Amount
	2015	$	13,708

	2016	—

	2017	—

	2018	—

	2019	—

	Thereafter	1,000

Employee_Benefit_Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans	Dec. 31, 2014
Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plans	EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

	Dakota Ethanol maintains a 401(k) plan for the employees who meet the eligibility requirements set forth in the plan documents. Dakota Ethanol matches a percentage of the employees' contributed earnings. Employer contributions to the plan totaled approximately $105,000, $90,000 and $88,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

	The Company complies with the fair value measurements and disclosures standard which defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and expands disclosure for those assets and liabilities carried on the balance sheet on a fair value basis.

	The Company’s balance sheet contains derivative financial instruments that are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Fair value measurements and disclosures require that assets and liabilities carried at fair value be classified and disclosed according to the process for determining fair value. There are three levels of determining fair value.

	Level 1 uses quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

	Level 2 uses observable market based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

	Level 3 uses unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.

	A description of the valuation methodologies used for instruments measured at fair value, as well as the general classification of such instruments pursuant to the valuation hierarchy, is set forth below.

	Derivative financial instruments. Commodity futures and options contracts are reported at fair value utilizing Level 1 inputs. For these contracts, the Company obtains fair value measurements from an independent pricing service. The fair value measurements consider observable data that may include dealer quotes and live trading levels from the CBOT and NYMEX markets. Over-the-counter commodity options contracts are reported at fair value utilizing Level 2 inputs. For these contracts, the Company obtains fair value measurements from an independent pricing service. The fair value measurements consider observable data that may include dealer quotes and live trading levels from the over-the-counter markets. Forward purchase contracts are reported at fair value utilizing Level 2 inputs. For these contracts, the Company obtains fair value measurements from local grain terminal bid values. The fair value measurements consider observable data that may include live trading bids from local elevators and processing plants which are based off the CBOT markets.

	The following table summarizes financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, segregated by the level of the valuation inputs within the fair value hierarchy utilized to measure fair value:


		Total			Level 1			Level 2			Level 3
	31-Dec-14

	Assets:
	Derivative financial instruments, futures contracts	$	9,112		$	9,112		$	—		$	—

	forward contracts	105,813			—			105,813			—


	Liabilities:
	Derivative financial instruments, futures contracts	$	(109,200	)	$	(109,200	)	$	—		$	—

	forward contracts	(1,447,513		)	—			(1,447,513		)	—


	31-Dec-13

	Assets:
	Derivative financial instruments, futures contracts	$	249,688		$	249,688		$	—		$	—


	Liabilities:
	Derivative financial instruments, forward contracts	$	(978,935	)	$	—		$	(978,935	)	$	—


	During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company did not make any changes between Level 1 and Level 2 assets and liabilities. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company did not have any Level 3 assets or liabilities.

	Certain financial assets and financial liabilities are measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis; that is, the instruments are not measured at fair value on an ongoing basis but are subject to fair value adjustments in certain circumstances (for example, when there is evidence of impairment). Financial assets and financial liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis were not significant at December 31, 2014 and 2013.

	Disclosure requirements for fair value of financial instruments require disclosure of the fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities, including those financial assets and financial liabilities that are not measured and reported at fair value on a recurring basis or nonrecurring basis. The methodologies for estimating the fair value of financial assets and financial liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring or non recurring basis are discussed above. The methodologies for other financial assets and financial liabilities are discussed below.

	The Company believes the carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents (level 1), accounts receivable (level 2), other receivables (level 2), accounts payable (level 2) and short-term debt (level 3) approximates fair value due to the short maturity of these instruments.

	The carrying amount of long-term obligations (level 3) at December 31, 2014 of $14,708 had an estimated fair value of approximately $14,708 based on estimated interest rates for comparable debt. The carrying amount of long-term obligations at December 31, 2013 of $10,046,468 had an estimated fair value of approximately $10,046,468 based on estimated interest rates for comparable debt.

Commitments_Contingencies_and_

Commitments, Contingencies and Agreements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments, Contingencies and Agreements [Abstract]
Commitments, Contingencies and Agreements	COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND AGREEMENTS

	Dakota Ethanol has entered into contracts and agreements regarding the operation and management of the ethanol plant as follows:

	Natural Gas - The agreement provides Dakota Ethanol with a fixed transportation rate for natural gas for a ten-year term through August 2021, and is renewable annually thereafter. The agreement does not require minimum purchases of natural gas during their initial term.

	Electricity - The agreement provides Dakota Ethanol with electric service for a term of one year. The contract automatically renews unless prior notice of cancellation is given. The agreement sets rates for energy usage based on market rates and requires a minimum purchase of electricity each month during the term of the agreement.

	Expenses related to the agreement for the purchase of electricity and natural gas were approximately $10,536,000, $8,442,000, and $6,745,000, for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

	Minimum annual payments during the term of the electricity agreement are as follows:



	Years Ending December 31,	Amount
	2015	$482,580

	Ethanol Fuel Marketing Agreement - Dakota Ethanol has an agreement with RPMG (a related party, see note 4), a joint venture of ethanol producers, for the sale, marketing, billing and receipt of payment and other administrative services for all ethanol produced by the plant. The agreement continues indefinitely unless terminated under terms set forth in the agreement.

	Distiller’s Grain Marketing Agreement - Dakota Ethanol has an agreement with RPMG (a related party, see note 4), for the marketing of all distillers dried grains produced by the plant. The agreement expires on July 15, 2015 and is automatically renewed for successive one-year terms unless terminated 180 days prior to expiration.

	Corn Oil Marketing Agreement - Dakota Ethanol has an agreement with RPMG (a related party, see note 4), for the marketing of all corn oil produced by the plant. The agreement expires on August 11, 2015 and is automatically renewed for successive one-year terms unless terminated 180 days prior to expiration.

	Dakota Ethanol receives an incentive payment from the State of South Dakota to produce ethanol. In accordance with the terms of this arrangement, revenue is recorded based on gallons of ethanol sold. Incentive revenue of $439,069, $351,485 and $390,726, was recorded for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Dakota Ethanol did not receive the annual maximum for the 2014 program year due to budget constraints on the State of South Dakota program and will not likely receive the annual maximum under the 2015 program year.

	From time to time in the normal course of business, the Company can be subject to litigation based on its operations. There is no current litigation nor any litigation that is considered probable at this time.

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

	Dakota Ethanol has a 7% interest in RPMG, and Dakota Ethanol has entered into marketing agreements for the exclusive rights to market, sell and distribute the entire ethanol, dried distillers grains, and corn oil inventories produced by Dakota Ethanol. The marketing fees are included in net revenues.
	Revenues and marketing fees related to the agreements are as follows:


		Years Ended December 31,
		2014		2013		2012

	Revenues ethanol	$	100,194,805	$	109,684,152	$	98,946,378

	Revenues distillers grains and corn oil	10,676,144		9,282,072		8,058,637


	Marketing fees ethanol	140,954		225,358		176,738

	Marketing fees distillers grains and corn oil	55,858		41,478		36,171


	Amounts due included in accounts receivable	246,560		2,382,068		2,656,091

TIF_Bond_Guarantee

TIF Bond Guarantee	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
TIF Bond Guarantee [Abstract]
TIF Bond Guarantee	TIF BOND GUARANTEE

	During December 2003, Dakota Ethanol entered into an agreement to guarantee a bond issued by Lake County, South Dakota. The bond issue was in conjunction with the refunding of the tax increment financing (TIF) bond issued by Lake County in 2001, of which Dakota Ethanol was the recipient of the proceeds. During 2003, Lake County became aware that the taxes collected based on the incremental tax would not be sufficient to cover the debt service of the 2001 bond issue. Based on the aforementioned deficiency and changes in interest rate during December of 2003, Lake County refunded the 2001 bond issue replacing it with two separate bonds. A tax-exempt bond in the amount of $824,599 and a taxable bond in the amount of $1,323,024 were issued. As a part of the refunding, Dakota Ethanol entered into the agreement to guarantee the taxable bond issue. The taxes levied on Dakota Ethanol's property will first go towards the semiannual debt service of the tax-exempt bonds and any remaining taxes will be used for the debt service of the taxable bonds. Dakota Ethanol guarantees any shortfall in debt service for the taxable bonds. The guarantee expires in December of 2018.

	The maximum amount of estimated future payments on the taxable bond debt service is $737,378 as of December 31, 2014. The carrying amount of the guarantee liability on Dakota Ethanol's balance sheet at December 31, 2014 is $192,575, which represents the estimated shortfall between the taxable bond amount and the amount of taxes estimated to be collected on Dakota Ethanol's property.

	Estimated maturities of the guarantee are as follows:


	Years Ending December 31,	Amount
	2015	$	68,635

	2016	68,465

	2017	55,475


	Dakota Ethanol has no recourse to third parties or collateral held by third parties related to the guarantee.

Captive_Insurance

Captive Insurance	12 Months Ended
Captive Insurance	Dec. 31, 2014
Captive Insurance [Abstract]
Captive Insurance	CAPTIVE INSURANCE

	The Company is a stockholder in a captive insurance company (Captive). The Captive re-insures losses related to general liability, property and workers compensation claims. Premiums and surplus are paid by the Company through a charge to income in the period to which the premium relates. The Captive reinsures losses not to exceed a predetermined amount. That predetermined amount is fully funded through a portion of paid premium and surplus each year.

	For losses covered by the Company's insurance, the Company is solely responsible for paying its deductible. The Company has a deductible of $100,000 for property damage claims plus the first five days of business interruption loss. The Company has a deductible of $10,000 for employee benefits claims. The Company has no deductible for products and premises liability claims and for workers compensation claims. The Company has a catastrophic loss limit of $90 million for property loss claims, a $1 million per occurrence with a $2 million annual aggregate for product liability claims, a $1 million per occurrence with a $10 million annual aggregate for premises liability claims, a $1,000,000 per occurrence with a $2 million annual aggregate for employee benefit liability claims and a $500,000 per occurrence with a $500,000 annual aggregate for workers compensation claims. The Company also purchases a $15 million per occurrence with a $30 million aggregate umbrella to cover above the previously stated liability and workers compensation claims.

	Amounts expensed related to the captive insurance were approximately $234,000, $206,000 and $233,000 for the years ending December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Quarterly_Financial_Reporting

Quarterly Financial Reporting	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]
Quarterly Financial Reporting	QUARTERLY FINANCIAL REPORTING (UNAUDITED)

	Summary quarterly results are as follows:


		First Quarter		Second Quarter			Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
	Year ended December 31, 2014
	Total revenues	$	38,291,090	$	30,468,555		$	28,961,413	$	26,748,036

	Gross profit	10,867,229		9,131,503			7,652,385		7,749,852

	Income from operations	9,833,848		8,247,933			6,808,515		6,959,693

	Net income	11,974,303		10,252,361			8,959,690		8,620,965

	Basic and diluted earnings per unit	0.4		0.35			0.3		0.29


	Year ended December 31, 2013
	Total revenues	$	38,292,468	$	38,288,817		$	36,613,246	$	32,218,437

	Gross profit	3,596,807		2,428,355			2,107,665		8,188,976

	Income from operations	2,840,636		1,358,221			1,344,871		7,267,049

	Net income	2,946,044		1,458,043			1,475,212		7,425,548

	Basic and diluted earnings per unit	0.1		0.05			0.05		0.25


	Year ended December 31, 2012
	Total revenues	$	32,005,292	$	30,843,839		$	34,424,396	$	35,011,466

	Gross profit (loss)	1,321,268		(589,176		)	1,310,349		(512,299		)

	Income (loss) from operations	553,095		(1,348,397		)	660,858		(1,199,602		)

	Net income (loss)	568,650		(1,331,213		)	700,582		(1,215,500		)

	Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per unit	0.02		(0.04		)	0.02		(0.04		)


	The above quarterly financial data is unaudited, but in the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of the selected data for these interim periods presented have been included.

Accounting_Policies

Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles of Consolidation

Revenue Recognition

Cost of Revenues

Shipping costs on modified and wet distiller’s grains are included in cost of revenues.

Inventory Valuation

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of demand accounts and other accounts that provide withdrawal privileges.

Receivables and Credit Policies

Investment in commodities contracts, derivative instruments and hedging activities

The Company does not have any firm-priced sales commitments for ethanol as of December 31, 2014.

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments at December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013 were as follows:

Balance Sheet Classification

31-Dec-14

31-Dec-13

Forward contracts in gain position

105,813

—

Futures contracts in gain position

9,112

249,688

Futures contracts in loss position

(109,200

)

—

Total forward and futures contracts

5,725

249,688

Cash held by broker

1,451,734

1,252,886

Current Assets

1,457,459

1,502,574

Forward contracts in loss position

(Current Liabilities)

(1,447,513

)

(978,935

)

Futures contracts and cash held by broker are all with one party and the right of offset exists. Therefore, on the balance sheet, these items are netted in one balance regardless of position.

Forward contracts are with multiple parties and the right of offset does not exist. Therefore, these contracts are reported at the gross amounts on the balance sheet.

Statement of Operations

Years Ended December 31,

Classification

2014

2013

2012

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) related to purchase contracts:

Futures contracts

Cost of Revenues

1,249,072

1,142,170

(4,076,209

)

Forward contracts

Cost of Revenues

(3,231,490

)

(3,417,362

)

1,065,793

Investments

Use of Estimates

Concentrations of Credit Risk

The Company’s cash balances are maintained in bank depositories and regularly exceed federally insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in connection with these balances.

Property and Equipment

Minimum

Maximum

Land improvements

40 years

Equipment

5 years

20 years

Buildings

40 years

Goodwill

Earnings Per Unit

Income Taxes

Environmental Liabilities

Operating Segment

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments

			Balance Sheet Classification	31-Dec-14			31-Dec-13

	Forward contracts in gain position			$	105,813		$	—

	Futures contracts in gain position			9,112			249,688

	Futures contracts in loss position			(109,200		)	—

	Total forward and futures contracts			5,725			249,688

	Cash held by broker			1,451,734			1,252,886

			Current Assets	$	1,457,459		$	1,502,574


	Forward contracts in loss position		(Current Liabilities)	$	(1,447,513	)	$	(978,935	)

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) related to purchase contracts

			Statement of Operations	Years Ended December 31,
			Classification	2014			2013			2012
	Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) related to purchase contracts:
	Futures contracts		Cost of Revenues	$	1,249,072		$	1,142,170		$	(4,076,209	)

	Forward contracts		Cost of Revenues	(3,231,490		)	(3,417,362		)	1,065,793

Property, Plant and Equipment

		Minimum	Maximum
	Land improvements		40 years
	Equipment	5 years	20 years
	Buildings		40 years

Inventory_Tables

Inventory (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Inventory [Abstract]
Schedule of Inventory	Inventory consisted of the following as of December 31, 2014 and 2013:



		31-Dec-14		31-Dec-13
	Raw materials	$	3,815,780	$	3,645,811

	Finished goods	689,276		1,544,426

	Work in process	571,521		748,965

	Parts inventory	1,030,069		935,005

		$	6,106,646	$	6,874,207

Investments_Tables

Investments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Investments [Abstract]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments	Condensed, combined unaudited financial information of the Company's investments in RPMG, PGVP, LT, GH and GEM are as follows:


	Balance Sheet	12/31/14		12/31/13		12/31/12

	Current assets	$	209,600,962	$	169,157,773	$	138,356,633

	Other assets	176,468,346		185,165,603		11,788,613

	Current liabilities	95,234,540		119,337,840		104,560,190

	Long-term liabilities	34,280,219		67,216,061		—

	Member's equity	256,554,549		167,769,475		45,585,056

	Revenue	320,484,814		25,403,155		11,768,851

	Gross Profit	105,589,056		15,966,038		11,767,950

	Net Income	79,122,028		7,891,408		2,398,798


	The following table shows the condensed financial information of Guardian Hankinson, which represents greater than 10% of the Company's net income for the year ended December 31, 2014.


	Balance Sheet	12/31/14		12/31/13
	Current assets	$	90,121,911	$	29,908,994

	Other assets	157,660,672		171,981,431

	Current liabilities	16,384,133		14,674,364

	Long-term liabilities	34,264,219		67,216,061

	Members' equity	197,134,231		120,000,000

	Revenue	307,142,125		12,575,020

	Gross Profit	93,397,938		3,139,877

	Net Income	75,078,238		2,055,993


	The Company recorded equity in net income of approximately $7,719,000 and $0 from GH for the years ended December 31, 2014, and 2013 respectively. 2013 was the initial investment year for GH. The Company recorded equity in net income of approximately $322,000, $507,000 and $175,000 from our other investments for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 respectively. The Company has undistributed net earnings of investees of approximately $8,880,000 and $2,188,000 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Long_Term_Notes_Payable_Tables

Long Term Notes Payable (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Long Term Note Payable [Abstract]
Schedule of Long-term Debt

		2014			2013

	Note payable - FCSA	$	1,000		$	10,001,000

	Note payable - Other	13,708			45,468

		14,708			10,046,468

	Less current portion	(13,708		)	(1,281,760		)

		$	1,000		$	8,764,708

Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt

	Years Ending December 31,	Amount
	2015	$	13,708

	2016	—

	2017	—

	2018	—

	2019	—

	Thereafter	1,000

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]
Fair Value, by Balance Sheet Grouping

		Total			Level 1			Level 2			Level 3
	31-Dec-14

	Assets:
	Derivative financial instruments, futures contracts	$	9,112		$	9,112		$	—		$	—

	forward contracts	105,813			—			105,813			—


	Liabilities:
	Derivative financial instruments, futures contracts	$	(109,200	)	$	(109,200	)	$	—		$	—

	forward contracts	(1,447,513		)	—			(1,447,513		)	—


	31-Dec-13

	Assets:
	Derivative financial instruments, futures contracts	$	249,688		$	249,688		$	—		$	—


	Liabilities:
	Derivative financial instruments, forward contracts	$	(978,935	)	$	—		$	(978,935	)	$	—

Commitments_Contingencies_and_1

Commitments, Contingencies and Agreements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments, Contingencies and Agreements [Abstract]
Contractual Obligation, Fiscal Year Maturity Schedule

	Years Ending December 31,	Amount
	2015	$482,580

Related_Party_Transactions_Tab

Related Party Transactions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Schedule of Related Party Transactions

		Years Ended December 31,
		2014		2013		2012

	Revenues ethanol	$	100,194,805	$	109,684,152	$	98,946,378

	Revenues distillers grains and corn oil	10,676,144		9,282,072		8,058,637


	Marketing fees ethanol	140,954		225,358		176,738

	Marketing fees distillers grains and corn oil	55,858		41,478		36,171


	Amounts due included in accounts receivable	246,560		2,382,068		2,656,091

TIF_Bond_Guarantee_Tables

TIF Bond Guarantee (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
TIF Bond Guarantee [Abstract]
Schedule of Maturities of Guarantee

	Years Ending December 31,	Amount
	2015	$	68,635

	2016	68,465

	2017	55,475

Quarterly_Financial_Reporting_

Quarterly Financial Reporting (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]
Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information

		First Quarter		Second Quarter			Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
	Year ended December 31, 2014
	Total revenues	$	38,291,090	$	30,468,555		$	28,961,413	$	26,748,036

	Gross profit	10,867,229		9,131,503			7,652,385		7,749,852

	Income from operations	9,833,848		8,247,933			6,808,515		6,959,693

	Net income	11,974,303		10,252,361			8,959,690		8,620,965

	Basic and diluted earnings per unit	0.4		0.35			0.3		0.29


	Year ended December 31, 2013
	Total revenues	$	38,292,468	$	38,288,817		$	36,613,246	$	32,218,437

	Gross profit	3,596,807		2,428,355			2,107,665		8,188,976

	Income from operations	2,840,636		1,358,221			1,344,871		7,267,049

	Net income	2,946,044		1,458,043			1,475,212		7,425,548

	Basic and diluted earnings per unit	0.1		0.05			0.05		0.25


	Year ended December 31, 2012
	Total revenues	$	32,005,292	$	30,843,839		$	34,424,396	$	35,011,466

	Gross profit (loss)	1,321,268		(589,176		)	1,310,349		(512,299		)

	Income (loss) from operations	553,095		(1,348,397		)	660,858		(1,199,602		)

	Net income (loss)	568,650		(1,331,213		)	700,582		(1,215,500		)

	Basic and diluted earnings (loss) per unit	0.02		(0.04		)	0.02		(0.04		)

Nature_of_Operations_Nature_of

Nature of Operations Nature of Operations (Details) (Ethanol [Member], Product [Member])	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
	gal
Ethanol [Member] \| Product [Member]
Product Information [Line Items]
Annual production capacity	40,000,000

Summary_of_Significant_Account2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Receivables (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Trade Receivable, Unpaid Balance, Interest Rate	1.50%
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable	$51,791	$66,563

Derivative_Instruments_Balance

Derivative Instruments - Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Other Receivables from Broker-Dealers and Clearing Organizations	$1,451,734	$1,252,886
Derivative financial instruments	1,457,459	1,502,574
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Corn [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, Number of Instruments Held	4,600,000
Derivative, Average Price Per Unit	3.8
Product usage, percentage	26.00%
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Natural Gas [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, Number of Instruments Held	680,000
Derivative, Average Price Per Unit	3.44
Product usage, percentage	45.00%
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Distillers Grain [Domain]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, Number of Instruments Held	33,000
Derivative, Average Price Per Unit	102
Product usage, percentage	23.00%
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Distillers Corn Oil [Domain]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative, Number of Instruments Held	1,438,000
Derivative, Average Price Per Unit	0.3
Product usage, percentage	14.00%
Current Assets [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Assets, Current	5,725	249,688
Derivative financial instruments	1,457,459	1,502,574
Current Assets [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Future [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Assets, Current	9,112	249,688
Derivative Liabilities, Current	-109,200	0
Current Assets [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Forward Contracts [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Assets, Current	105,813	0
Current Liabilities [Member] \| Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Forward Contracts [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Liabilities, Current	($1,447,513)	($978,935)

Derivative_Instruments_Income_

Derivative Instruments - Income Statement (Details) (Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member], Cost of Sales [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Future [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income	$1,249,072	$1,142,170	($4,076,209)
Forward Contracts [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) Recognized in Income	($3,231,490)	($3,417,362)	$1,065,793

Summary_Investments_Details

Summary Investments (Details)	12 Months Ended
Summary Investments (Details)	Dec. 31, 2014
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	20.00%
Equity Method Investments, Number of Entities	4

Property_and_Equipment_Details

Property and Equipment (Details)	12 Months Ended
Property and Equipment (Details)	Dec. 31, 2014
Land Improvements [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	40 years
Equipment [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	5 years
Equipment [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	20 years
Building [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	40 years
Machinery and Equipment [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	15
Machinery and Equipment [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	20
Other Machinery and Equipment [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	5
Other Machinery and Equipment [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	15

Inventory_Details

Inventory (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Inventory [Abstract]
Raw Materials	$3,815,780	$3,645,811
Finished Goods	689,276	1,544,426
Work in Process	571,521	748,965
Parts Inventory	1,030,069	935,005
Inventory	$6,106,646	$6,874,207

Investments_Details

Investments (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Investments (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	20.00%
Investments	$23,214,456	$16,078,269
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	8,041,347	506,790	175,266
Investments [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Current Assets	209,600,962	169,157,773	138,356,633
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Other Assets	176,468,346	185,165,603	11,788,613
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Current Liabilities	95,234,540	119,337,840	104,560,190
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Long-term Liabilities	34,280,219	67,216,061	0
Equity Method Investment Summarized Financial Information, Equity	256,554,549	167,769,475	45,585,056
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Revenue	320,484,814	25,403,155	11,768,851
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Gross Profit (Loss)	105,589,056	15,966,038	11,767,950
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Net Income (Loss)	79,122,028	7,891,408	2,398,798
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	322,000	507,000	175,000
Renewable Products Marketing Group, LLC (RPMG) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	7.00%
Investments	1,748,000	2,793,000
Equity Method Investment, Additional Information	1360000
Prairie Gold Venture Partnership, LLC (PGVP) [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	9.00%
Investments	1,174,000	1,174,000
Lawrenceville Tanks, LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	10.00%
Investments	540,000	110,000
Guardian Hankinson, LLC [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	10.00%
Investments	19,720,000	12,000,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Current Assets	90,121,911	29,908,994
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Other Assets	157,660,672	171,981,431
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Current Liabilities	16,384,133	14,674,364
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Long-term Liabilities	34,264,219	67,216,061
Equity Method Investment Summarized Financial Information, Equity	197,134,231	120,000,000
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Revenue	307,142,125	12,575,020
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Gross Profit (Loss)	93,397,938	3,139,877
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Net Income (Loss)	75,078,238	2,055,993
Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments	7,719,000	0
Retained Earnings, Undistributed Earnings from Equity Method Investees	8,880,000	2,188,000
Guardian Energy Management [Member]
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	17.00%
Investments	$33,000

Revolving_Operating_Note_Detai

Revolving Operating Note (Details) (Line of Credit [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Farm Credit Services of America [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	$10,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End	3.15%
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.25%
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	0
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	$0
First National Bank of Omaha [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	3.00%

Long_Term_Note_Payable_Details

Long Term Note Payable (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Long Term Note Payable (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$14,708	$10,046,468
Long-term Debt, Current Maturities	-13,708	-1,281,760
Notes payable, net of current maturities	1,000	8,764,708
Notes Payable to Banks [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Payable	1,000	10,001,000
Notes Payable, Other Payables [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Payable	13,708	45,468
Farm Credit Services of America [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notes Payable to Bank		10,000,000
Farm Credit Services of America [Member] \| Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of Credit Facility, Current Borrowing Capacity	15,000,000
Periodic decrease in line of credit availability	750,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity	7,500,000	5,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End	3.40%
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage	0.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	1,000	1,000
Line of Credit Facility, Remaining Borrowing Capacity	14,999,000	4,999,000
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	3.25%
Farm Credit Services of America [Member] \| Term Note [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate	3.25%
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment, Principal	$10,000,000

Long_Term_Notes_Payable_Maturi

Long Term Notes Payable Maturities of Long Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014
Maturities of Long-term Debt [Abstract]
Long-term Debt, Repayments, 2015	$13,708
Long-term Debt, Repayments, 2016	0
Long-term Debt, Repayments, 2017	0
Long-term Debt, Repayments, 2018	0
Long-term Debt, Repayments, 2019	0
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal after Year Five	$1,000

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details

Employee Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Employee Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Employee Benefit Plans [Abstract]
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Employer	$105,000	$90,000	$88,000

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Obligations, Fair Value Disclosure		$10,046,468
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Obligations, Fair Value Disclosure	14,708
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Obligations, Fair Value Disclosure	14,708	10,046,468
Future [Member] \| Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	9,112	249,688
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	-109,200
Future [Member] \| Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	9,112	249,688
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	-109,200
Future [Member] \| Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	0	0
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0
Future [Member] \| Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	0	0
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	105,813
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	-1,447,513	-978,935
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	0
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0	0
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	105,813
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	-1,447,513	-978,935
Forward Contracts [Member] \| Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative Asset	0
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	$0	$0

Commitments_Contingencies_and_2

Commitments, Contingencies and Agreements (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Commitments, Contingencies and Agreements (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Purchase Obligation, Due in Next Twelve Months	$482,580
Revenue from Grants	439,069	351,485	390,726
Cost of Sales [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Purchase Contracts, Utilities	$10,536,000	$8,442,000	$6,745,000

Related_Party_Transactions_Det

Related Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Related Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	20.00%
Due from Related Parties, Current	$246,560	$2,382,068	$2,656,091
Renewable Products Marketing Group, LLC (RPMG) [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage	7.00%
Ethanol [Member] \| Renewable Products Marketing Group, LLC (RPMG) [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue from Related Parties	100,194,805	109,684,152	98,946,378
Marketing Expenses from Transactions with Related Party	140,954	225,358	176,738
Dstiller's Grains and Corn Oil [Member] \| Renewable Products Marketing Group, LLC (RPMG) [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue from Related Parties	10,676,144	9,282,072	8,058,637
Marketing Expenses from Transactions with Related Party	$55,858	$41,478	$36,171

TIF_Bond_Guarantee_Details

TIF Bond Guarantee (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014
Payment Guarantee [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Maturities of Guarantee in 2015	$68,635
Maturities of Guarantee in 2016	68,465
Maturities of Guarantee in 2017	55,475
Tax-Exempt Bond [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	824,599
Estimated Payments, Total	737,378
Taxable Bond [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount	1,323,024
Guarantee Liability [Member]
Guarantor Obligations [Line Items]
Debt, Carrying Amount	$192,575

Captive_Insurance_Details

Captive Insurance (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Captive Insurance (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Captive Insurance [Abstract]
Property Damage Deductible	$100,000
Employee Benefits Claim Deductible	10,000
Property Loss, Catastrophic Loss Limit	90,000,000
Product Liability Claims, Per Occurrence Limit	1,000,000
Product Liability Claims, Aggregate Limit	2,000,000
Premises Liability Claims, Per Occurrence Limit	1,000,000
Premises Liability Claims, Aggregate Limit	10,000,000
Employee Benefit Liability Claims, Per Occurrence Limit	1,000,000
Employee Benefit Liability Claims, Aggregate Limit	2,000,000
Workers Compensation Claims, Per Occurrence Limit	500,000
Workers Compensation Claims, Aggregate Limit	500,000
Liability and Workers Compensation Claims, Per Occurence Limit	15,000,000
Liability and Workers Compensation Claims, Aggregate Umbrella Limit	30,000,000
Insurance expense	$234,000	$206,000	$233,000

Quarterly_Financial_Reporting_1

Quarterly Financial Reporting (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
Quarterly Financial Reporting (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]
Revenue, Net	$26,748,036	$28,961,413	$30,468,555	$38,291,090	$32,218,437	$36,613,246	$38,288,817	$38,292,468	$35,011,466	$34,424,396	$30,843,839	$32,005,292
Gross Profit	7,749,852	7,652,385	9,131,503	10,867,229	8,188,976	2,107,665	2,428,355	3,596,807	-512,299	1,310,349	-589,176	1,321,268	35,400,969	16,321,803	1,433,111
Operating Income (Loss)	6,959,693	6,808,515	8,247,933	9,833,848	7,267,049	1,344,871	1,358,221	2,840,636	-1,199,602	660,858	-1,348,397	553,095	31,849,989	12,810,777	-1,431,077
Net Income (Loss)	$8,620,965	$8,959,690	$10,252,361	$11,974,303	$7,425,548	$1,475,212	$1,458,043	$2,946,044	($1,215,500)	$700,582	($1,331,213)	$568,650	$39,807,319	$13,304,847	($1,277,481)
Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	$0.29	$0.30	$0.35	$0.40	$0.25	$0.05	$0.05	$0.10	($0.04)	$0.02	($0.04)	$0.02	$1.34	$0.45	($0.04)