The Andersons, Inc. (ANDE) 10-K 28 Feb 14 2013 FY Annual report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Feb. 19, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'ANDERSONS INC	'	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000821026	'	'
Document Type	'10-K	'	'
Document Period End Date	31-Dec-13	'	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2013	'	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'FY	'	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'	'
Entity Filer Category	'Large Accelerated Filer	'	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	28.2	'
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	'Yes	'	'
Entity Voluntary Filers	'No	'	'
Entity Current Reporting Status	'Yes	'	'
Entity Public Float	'	'	$928.90

Consolidated_Statements_of_Inc

Consolidated Statements of Income (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Sales and merchandising revenues	$5,604,574	$5,272,010	$4,576,331
Cost of sales and merchandising revenues	5,239,349	4,914,005	4,223,479
Gross profit	365,225	358,005	352,852
Operating, administrative and general expenses	278,433	246,929	229,090
Interest expense (income)	20,860	22,155	25,256
Other income:	'	'	'
Equity in earnings of affiliates, net	68,705	16,487	41,450
Other income, net	14,876	14,725	7,922
Income before income taxes	149,513	120,133	147,878
Income tax provision	53,811	44,568	51,053
Net income	95,702	75,565	96,825
Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	5,763	-3,915	1,719
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$89,939	$79,480	$95,106
Per common share:	'	'	'
Basic earnings attributable to The Andersons, Inc. common shareholders (in dollars per share)	$3.20	$2.85	$3.42
Diluted earnings attributable to The Andersons, Inc. common shareholders (in dollars per share)	$3.18	$2.82	$3.39
Dividends paid (in dollars per share)	$0.43	$0.40	$0.29

Consolidated_Statements_of_Com

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Net income	$95,702		$75,565	$96,825
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:	'		'	'
Increase (decrease) in estimated fair value of investment in debt securities (net of income tax of $3,208, ($1,162) and $1,710)	5,292		-1,978	2,860
Change in unrecognized actuarial loss and prior service cost (net of income tax of ($10,439), $699 and $10,293)	18,641		-563	-17,120
Cash flow hedge activity (net of income tax of ($238), ($66) and $21)	265		252	-31
Other comprehensive income (loss)	24,198	[1]	-2,289	-14,291
Comprehensive income	119,900		73,276	82,534
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interests	5,763		-3,915	1,719
Comprehensive income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$114,137		$77,191	$80,815
[1]	All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits

Consolidated_Statements_of_Com1

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Statement of Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'	'	'
Increase (decrease) in estimated fair value of investment in debt securities, tax	$3,208	($1,162)	$1,710
Unrecognized actuarial loss and prior service cost, income taxes	-10,439	699	10,293
Income tax on cash flow hedge activity	($238)	($66)	$21

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'		'
Cash and cash equivalents	$309,085		$138,218
Restricted cash	408		398
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,992 in 2013; $4,883 in 2012	173,930		208,877
Inventories (Note 2)	614,923		776,677
Commodity derivative assets – current	71,319		103,105
Deferred income taxes	4,931		15,862
Other current assets	47,188		54,016
Total current assets	1,221,784		1,297,153
Other assets:	'		'
Commodity derivative assets – noncurrent	246		1,906
Goodwill	58,554		54,387
Other assets, net	59,456		50,742
Employee benefit plan assets	14,328		0
Equity method investments	291,109		190,908
Investments and Other Noncurrent Assets	423,693		297,943
Railcar assets leased to others, net (Note 3)	240,621		228,330
Property, plant and equipment, net (Note 3)	387,458		358,878
Total assets	2,273,556		2,182,304
Current liabilities:	'		'
Borrowings under short-term line of credit	0		24,219
Accounts payable for grain	592,183		582,653
Other accounts payable	154,599		165,201
Customer prepayments and deferred revenue	59,304		105,410
Commodity derivative liabilities – current	63,954		33,277
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	70,295		66,902
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 10)	51,998		15,145
Total current liabilities	992,333		992,807
Other long-term liabilities	15,386		18,406
Commodity derivative liabilities – noncurrent	6,644		1,134
Employee benefit plan obligations	39,477		53,131
Long-term debt, less current maturities (Note 10)	375,213		427,243
Deferred income taxes	120,082		78,138
Total liabilities	1,549,135		1,570,859
Commitments and contingencies (Note 11)	'		'
Shareholders’ equity:	'		'
Common shares, without par value (42,000 shares authorized; 28,797 shares issued)	96		96
Preferred shares, without par value (1,000 shares authorized; none issued)	0		0
Additional paid-in-capital	184,380		181,627
Treasury shares, at cost (607 in 2013; 831 in 2012)	-10,222		-12,559
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-21,181	[1]	-45,379	[1]
Retained earnings	548,401		470,628
Total shareholders’ equity of The Andersons, Inc.	701,474		594,413
Noncontrolling interests	22,947		17,032
Total equity	724,421		611,445
Total liabilities and equity	$2,273,556		$2,182,304
[1]	All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]	'	'
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$4,992	$4,883
Common shares, par value (dollars per share)	$0	$0
Common shares, shares authorized (shares)	42,000,000	42,000,000
Common shares, shares issued (shares)	28,797,000	28,797,000
Preferred shares, par value (dollars per share)	$0	$0
Preferred shares, shares authorized (shares)	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred shares, shares issued (shares)	0	0
Treasury shares, at cost (shares)	607,000	831,000

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Operating Activities	'	'	'
Net income	$95,702	$75,565	$96,825
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:	'	'	'
Depreciation and amortization	55,307	48,977	40,837
Bad debt expense	1,187	1,129	187
Cash distributions (less than) in excess of income of unconsolidated affiliates	-50,953	8,134	-23,591
Gains on sales of railcars and related leases	-19,366	-23,665	-8,417
Excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement	-1,001	-162	-307
Deferred income taxes	40,374	16,503	5,473
Stock based compensation expense	4,339	3,990	4,071
Lower of cost or market inventory and contract adjustment	0	262	3,142
Impairment of property, plant and equipment	4,439	531	1,704
Other	498	-672	254
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:	'	'	'
Accounts receivable	35,446	-21,737	-15,708
Inventories	162,443	122,428	-114,427
Commodity derivatives	69,633	2,947	134,309
Other assets	-4,926	-12,927	-1,104
Accounts payable for grain	9,530	101,265	117,309
Other accounts payable and accrued expenses	-65,464	5,914	49,708
Net cash provided by operating activities	337,188	328,482	290,265
Investing Activities	'	'	'
Purchase of investments	0	-19,996	0
Proceeds from redemption of investment	0	19,998	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	-15,252	-220,257	-2,365
Purchases of railcars	-92,584	-111,224	-64,161
Proceeds from sale of railcars	97,232	90,827	30,398
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	-46,786	-69,274	-44,162
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	390	1,116	931
Investments in affiliates	-49,251	0	-121
Change in restricted cash	-10	18,253	-6,517
Net cash used in investing activities	-106,261	-290,557	-85,997
Financing Activities	'	'	'
Net change in short-term borrowings	-24,219	-47,281	-169,600
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	68,003	275,346	73,752
Payments of long-term debt	-94,752	-143,943	-104,008
Proceeds from minority investor	0	6,100	0
Proceeds from sale of treasury shares to employees and directors	1,939	1,322	815
Payments of debt issuance costs	-46	-637	-3,170
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0	-3,040
Dividends paid	-11,986	-11,166	-8,153
Excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement	1,001	162	307
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	-60,060	79,903	-213,097
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	170,867	117,828	-8,829
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	138,218	20,390	29,219
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	309,085	138,218	20,390
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information	'	'	'
Capital projects incurred but not yet paid	3,870	2,876	0
Purchase of a productive asset through seller-financing	14,694	10,498	0
Outstanding payment for acquisition of business	$128	$3,345	$0

Consolidated_Statements_of_Equ

Consolidated Statements of Equity (USD $)	Total		Common Shares	Additional Paid-in Capital	Treasury Shares	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Retained Earnings	Noncontrolling Interests
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2010	$464,559		$96	$177,875	($14,058)	($28,799)	$316,317	$13,128
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity	'		'	'	'	'	'	'
Net income	96,825		'	'	'	'	95,106	1,719
Other comprehensive income	-14,291		'	'	'	-14,291	'	'
Purchase of treasury shares	-3,039		'	'	-3,039	'	'	'
Stock awards, stock option exercises and other shares issued to employees and directors, net of income tax	3,688		'	1,588	2,100	'	'	'
Dividends declared	-8,900		'	'	'	'	-8,900	'
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	538,842		96	179,463	-14,997	-43,090	402,523	14,847
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity	'		'	'	'	'	'	'
Net income	75,565		'	'	'	'	79,480	-3,915
Other comprehensive income	-2,289		'	'	'	-2,289	'	'
Proceeds received from minority investor	6,100		'	'	'	'	'	6,100
Stock awards, stock option exercises and other shares issued to employees and directors, net of income tax	4,602		'	2,164	2,438	'	'	'
Dividends declared	-11,375		'	'	'	'	-11,375	'
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	611,445		96	181,627	-12,559	-45,379	470,628	17,032
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity	'		'	'	'	'	'	'
Net income	95,702		'	'	'	'	89,939	5,763
Other comprehensive income	24,198	[1]	'	'	'	24,198	'	'
Proceeds received from minority investor	152		'	'	'	'	'	152
Stock awards, stock option exercises and other shares issued to employees and directors, net of income tax	5,035		'	2,698	2,337	'	'	'
Dividends declared	-12,111		'	'	'	'	-12,111	'
Performance share unit dividends equivalents	0		'	55	'	'	-55	'
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$724,421		$96	$184,380	($10,222)	($21,181)	$548,401	$22,947
[1]	All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits

Consolidated_Statements_of_Equ1

Consolidated Statements of Equity (Parenthetical) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Treasury Shares	'	'	'
Purchase of treasury shares	0	0	128
Additional Paid-in Capital	'	'	'
Income tax on stock option exercise and other shares issued to employees and directors	1,243	710	1,197
Stock option exercises and other shares issued to employees and directors, shares	224	215	225
Retained Earnings	'	'	'
Dividends declared, per common share	0.43	0.4	0.320666667

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	'
	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Basis of Consolidation
	These Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of The Andersons, Inc. and its wholly owned and controlled subsidiaries (the “Company”). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. Investments in unconsolidated entities in which the Company has significant influence, but not control, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
	In the opinion of management, all adjustments consisting of normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations for the periods indicated, have been made.
	Use of Estimates and Assumptions
	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 amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	Cash and cash equivalents include cash and short-term investments with an initial maturity of three months or less. The carrying values of these assets approximate their fair values.
	Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
	Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and may bear interest if past due. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in existing accounts receivable. The allowance for doubtful accounts is reviewed quarterly. The allowance is based both on specific identification of potentially uncollectible accounts and the application of a consistent policy to estimate the allowance necessary for the remaining accounts receivable. For those customers that are thought to be at higher risk, the Company makes assumptions as to collectability based on past history and facts about the current situation. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when it becomes more certain that the receivable will not be recovered. The Company manages its exposure to counter-party credit risk through credit analysis and approvals, credit limits and monitoring procedures.
	Commodity Derivatives and Inventories
	The Company's operating results can be affected by changes to commodity prices. The Grain and Ethanol businesses have established “unhedged” position limits (the amount of a commodity, either owned or contracted for, that does not have an offsetting derivative contract to mitigate the price risk associated with those contracts and inventory). To reduce the exposure to market price risk on commodities owned and forward grain and ethanol purchase and sale contracts, the Company enters into exchange traded commodity futures and options contracts and over-the-counter forward and option contracts with various counterparties. The exchange traded contracts are primarily via the regulated Chicago Mercantile Exchange (the “CME”). The forward purchase and sale contracts are for physical delivery of the commodity in a future period. Contracts to purchase commodities from producers generally relate to the current or future crop years for delivery periods quoted by regulated commodity exchanges. Contracts for the sale of commodities to processors or other commercial consumers generally do not extend beyond one year.
	The Company accounts for its commodity derivatives at fair value. The estimated fair value of the commodity derivative contracts that require the receipt or posting of cash collateral is recorded on a net basis (offset against cash collateral posted or received, also known as margin deposits) within commodity derivative assets or liabilities. Management determines fair value based on exchange-quoted prices and in the case of its forward purchase and sale contracts, estimated fair value is adjusted for differences in local markets and non-performance risk. While the Company considers its commodity contracts to be effective economic hedges, the Company does not designate or account for its commodity contracts as hedges. Realized and unrealized gains and losses in the value of commodity contracts (whether due to changes in commodity prices, changes in performance or credit risk, or due to sale, maturity or extinguishment of the commodity contract) and grain inventories are included in sales and merchandising revenues in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Additional information about the fair value of the Company's commodity derivatives is presented in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Grain inventories are stated at their net realizable value, which approximates fair value less disposal costs.
	All other inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined by the average cost method. Additional information about inventories is presented in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Derivatives - Master Netting Arrangements
	Generally accepted accounting principles permit a party to a master netting arrangement to offset fair value amounts recognized for derivative instruments against the right to reclaim cash collateral or obligation to return cash collateral under the same master netting arrangement. The Company has master netting arrangements for its exchange traded futures and options contracts and certain over-the-counter contracts. When the Company enters into a futures, options or an over-the-counter contract, an initial margin deposit may be required by the counterparty. The amount of the margin deposit varies by commodity. If the market price of a future, option or an over-the-counter contract moves in a direction that is adverse to the Company's position, an additional margin deposit, called a maintenance margin, is required. The Company nets, by counterparty, its futures and over-the-counter positions against the cash collateral provided or received. The margin deposit assets and liabilities are included in short-term commodity derivative assets or liabilities, as appropriate, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Additional information about the Company's master netting arrangements is presented in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Derivatives - Interest Rate and Foreign Currency Contracts
	The Company periodically enters into interest rate contracts to manage interest rate risk on borrowing or financing activities. The Company's long-term interest rate swaps are recorded in other long-term liabilities and have been designated as cash flow hedges; accordingly, changes in the fair value of these instruments are recognized in other comprehensive income. The Company has other interest rate contracts recorded in other assets that are not designated as hedges. While the Company considers all of its derivative positions to be effective economic hedges of specified risks, these interest rate contracts for which hedge accounting is not applied are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets in either other current assets or liabilities (if short-term in nature) or in other assets or other long-term liabilities (if non-current in nature), and changes in fair value are recognized in income as interest expense. Upon termination of a derivative instrument or a change in the hedged item, any remaining fair value recorded on the balance sheet is recorded as interest expense consistent with the cash flows associated with the underlying hedged item. Information regarding the nature and terms of the Company's interest rate derivatives is presented in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Marketing Agreement
	The Company has a marketing agreement that covers certain of its grain facilities, some of which are leased from Cargill, Incorporated (“Cargill”). Under the five-year amended and restated agreement (renewed in December 2013), the Company sells grain from these facilities to Cargill at market prices. Income earned from operating the facilities (including buying, storing and selling grain and providing grain marketing services to its producer customers) over a specified threshold is shared equally with Cargill. Measurement of this threshold is made on a cumulative basis and cash is paid to Cargill on an annual basis. The Company recognizes its pro rata share of income every month and accrues for any payment owed to Cargill. The payable balance was $2.2 million and $33.9 million included in customer prepayments and deferred revenue as of December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.
	Railcars
	The Company's Rail Group purchases, leases, markets and manages railcars for third parties and for internal use. Railcars to which the Company holds title are shown on the balance sheet in one of two categories - other current assets (for railcars that are available for sale) or railcar assets leased to others. Railcars leased to others, both on short and long-term leases, are classified as long-term assets and are depreciated over their estimated useful lives.
	Railcars have statutory lives of either 40 or 50 years, measured from the date built. At the time of purchase, the remaining statutory life is used in determining useful lives which are depreciated on a straight-line basis. Additional information regarding railcar assets leased to others is presented in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Property, Plant and Equipment
	Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost. Repairs and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred, while betterments that extend useful lives are capitalized. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the individual assets, principally by the straight-line method. Estimated useful lives are generally as follows: land improvements - 16 years; leasehold improvements - the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the improvement, ranging from 3 to 20 years; buildings and storage facilities - 20 to 30 years; machinery and equipment - 3 to 20 years; and software - 3 to 10 years. The cost of assets retired or otherwise disposed of and the accumulated depreciation thereon are removed from the accounts, with any gain or loss realized upon sale or disposal credited or charged to operations. In addition, we capitalize the salaries and payroll-related costs of employees and consultants who devote time to the development of internal-use software projects. If a project constitutes an enhancement to previously-developed software, we assess whether the enhancement is significant and creates additional functionality to the software, thus qualifying the work incurred for capitalization. The amounts charged to expense for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 for amortization of capitalized computer software costs were approximately $1.1 million, $1.0 million, and $1.0 million, respectively. Unamortized computer software costs in the Consolidated Balance Sheets was $42.8 million and $24.6 million as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Once the project is complete, we estimate the useful life of the internal-use software, and we periodically assess whether the software is impaired. Changes in our estimates related to internal-use software would increase or decrease operating expenses or amortization recorded during the period. The Company capitalized interest on major projects in progress in the amount of $0.6 million and $0.4 million in 2013 and 2012, respectively. Additional information regarding the Company's property, plant and equipment is presented in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Deferred Debt Issue Costs
	Costs associated with the issuance of debt are capitalized. These costs are amortized using an interest-method equivalent over the earlier of the stated term of the debt or the period from the issue date through the first early payoff date without penalty, or the expected payoff date if the loan does not contain a prepayment penalty. Capitalized costs associated with the borrowing arrangement with a syndication of banks are amortized over the term of the agreement.
	Goodwill and Intangible Assets
	Intangible assets are recorded at cost, less accumulated amortization. Amortization of intangible assets is provided over their estimated useful lives (generally 5 to 10 years) on the straight-line method. Goodwill is not amortized but is subject to annual impairment tests or more often when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of goodwill may be impaired. A goodwill impairment loss is recognized to the extent the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill. Additional information about the Company's goodwill and intangible assets is presented in Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Impairment of Long-lived Assets
	Long-lived assets, including intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the assets to the undiscounted future net cash flows the Company expects to generate with the assets. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the Company recognizes impairment expense for the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets.
	Accounts Payable for Grain
	Accounts payable for grain includes certain amounts related to grain purchases for which, even though the Company has taken ownership and possession of the grain, the final purchase price has not been established (delayed price contracts). Amounts recorded for such delayed price contracts are determined on the basis of grain market prices at the balance sheet date in a similar manner for which grain inventory is valued and amounted to $83.2 million and $113.1 million as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	Stock-Based Compensation
	Stock-based compensation expense for all stock-based compensation awards is based on the estimated grant-date fair value. The Company recognizes these compensation costs on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, adjusted for revisions to performance expectations. Additional information about the Company's stock compensation plans is presented in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Deferred Compensation Liability
	Included in accrued expenses are $10.1 million and $7.8 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, of deferred compensation for certain employees who, due to Internal Revenue Service guidelines, may not take full advantage of the Company's qualified defined contribution plan. Assets funding this plan are recorded at fair value in other current assets and are equal to the value of this liability. This plan has no impact on results of operations as the changes in the fair value of the assets are offset on a one-for-one basis, by the change in the recorded amount of the deferred compensation liability.
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company follows a policy of recognizing sales revenue at the time of delivery of the product and when all of the following have occurred: a sales agreement is in place, pricing is fixed or determinable, and collection is reasonably assured.
	Sales of grain and ethanol are primarily recognized at the time of shipment, which is when title and risk of loss transfers to the customer. There are certain transactions that allow for pricing to occur after title of the goods has passed to the customer. In these cases, the Company continues to report the goods in inventory until it recognizes the sales revenue once the price has been determined. Direct ship grain sales (where the Company never takes physical possession of the grain) are recognized when the grain arrives at the customer's facility. Revenues from other grain and ethanol merchandising activities are recognized as services are provided; gains and losses on the market value of grain inventory as well as commodity derivatives are recognized in revenue on a daily basis when these positions are marked-to-market. Sales of other products are recognized at the time title and risk of loss transfers to the customer, which is generally at the time of shipment or, in the case of the retail store sales, when the customer takes possession of the goods. Revenues for all other services are recognized as the service is provided.
	Certain of the Company's operations provide for customer billings, deposits or prepayments for product that is stored at the Company's facilities. The sales and gross profit related to these transactions are not recognized until the product is shipped in accordance with the previously stated revenue recognition policy and these amounts are classified as a current liability titled “Customer prepayments and deferred revenue.”
	Rental revenues on operating leases are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Sales to financial intermediaries of owned railcars which are subject to an operating lease (with the Company being the lessor in such operating leases prior to the sale, referred to as a “non-recourse transaction”) are recognized as revenue on the date of sale if the Company does not maintain substantial risk of ownership in the sold railcars. Revenue related to railcar servicing and maintenance contracts is recognized over the term of the lease or service contract.
	Sales returns and allowances are provided for at the time sales are recorded. Shipping and handling charges are included in cost of sales. Sales taxes and motor fuel taxes on ethanol sales are presented on a net basis and are excluded from revenues.
	Rail Lease Accounting
	In addition to the sale of railcars that the Company makes to financial intermediaries on a non-recourse basis and records as revenue as discussed above, the Company also acts as the lessor and / or the lessee in various leasing arrangements as described below.
	The Company's Rail Group leases railcars and locomotives to customers, manages railcars for third parties and leases railcars for internal use. The Company acts as the lessor in various operating leases of railcars that are owned by the Company, or leased by the Company from financial intermediaries and, in turn, leased by the Company to end-users of the railcars. The leases from financial intermediaries are generally structured as sale-leaseback transactions, with the leaseback by the Company being treated as an operating lease.
	Certain of the Company's leases include monthly lease fees that are contingent upon some measure of usage (“per diem” leases). This monthly usage is tracked, billed and collected by third party service providers and funds are generally remitted to the Company along with usage data three months after they are earned. Typically, the lease term related to per-diem leases is one year or less. The Company records lease revenue for these per diem arrangements based on recent historical usage patterns and records a true-up adjustment when the actual data is received. Such true-up adjustments were not significant for any period presented.
	The Company expenses operating lease payments on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Additional information about railcar leasing activities is presented in Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Income Taxes
	Income tax expense for each period includes current tax expense plus deferred expense, which is related to the change in deferred income tax assets and liabilities. Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws governing periods in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company evaluates the realizability of deferred tax assets and provides a valuation allowance for amounts that management does not believe are more likely than not to be recoverable, as applicable.
	The annual effective tax rate is determined by income tax expense from continuing operations, described above, as a percentage of pretax book income. Differences in the effective tax rate and the statutory tax rate may be due to permanent items, tax credits, foreign tax rates and state tax rates in jurisdictions in which the Company operates, or changes in valuation allowances.
	The Company records reserves for uncertain tax positions when, despite the belief that tax return positions are fully supportable, it is anticipated that certain tax return positions are likely to be challenged and that the Company may not prevail. These reserves are adjusted in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the progress of a tax audit or the lapse of statutes of limitations.
	Additional information about the Company's income taxes is presented in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Employee Benefit Plans
	The Company provides all full-time, non-retail employees hired before July 1, 2010 with pension benefits and full-time employees hired before January 1, 2003 with postretirement health care benefits. In order to measure the expense and funded status of these employee benefit plans, management makes several estimates and assumptions, including rates of return on assets set aside to fund these plans, rates of compensation increases, employee turnover rates, anticipated mortality rates and anticipated future healthcare cost trends. These estimates and assumptions are based on the Company's historical experience combined with management's knowledge and understanding of current facts and circumstances. The selection of the discount rate is based on an index given projected plan payouts. Additional information about the Company's employee benefit plans is presented in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Research and Development
	Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. The Company's research and development program is mainly involved with the development of improved products and processes, primarily for the Turf & Specialty segment.
	Advertising
	Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense of $3.9 million, $4.4 million and $4.0 million in 2013, 2012, and 2011, respectively, is included in operating, administrative and general expenses.
	New Accounting Standards
	On February 5, 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards No. 2013-02, Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The standard requires that the Company present information about reclassification adjustments from accumulated other comprehensive income in the interim and annual financial statements in a single note or on the face of the financial statements. Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and additional disclosures are presented in Note 17.
	In December 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-11, Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (Topic 210). The new disclosure requirements mandate that entities disclose both gross and net information about instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the statement of financial position as well as instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of collateral received and posted in connection with master netting agreements or similar arrangements. The amendments were effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. The disclosures required by the amendments were required to be applied retrospectively for all comparative periods presented. The adoption of this amended guidance required expanded disclosure in the notes to the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements but did not impact financial results. See additional disclosures in Note 4.
In July 2012, the FASB issued Accounting Standards No. 2012-02, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment. The revised standard allows an entity the option to first assess qualitatively whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, thus necessitating that it perform the quantitative impairment test. An entity is not required to calculate the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test unless the entity determines that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired. An entity can choose to perform the qualitative assessment on none, some, or all of its indefinite-lived intangible assets. Moreover, an entity can bypass the qualitative assessment and perform the quantitative impairment test for any indefinite-lived intangible in any period. The amendments were effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements or disclosures.
Equity
On February 18, 2014, the Company effected a three-for-two stock split in the form of a stock dividend to shareholders of record as of January 21, 2014. All share, dividend and per share information set forth in this 10-K has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split.

Inventories

Inventories	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Inventory, Net [Abstract]	'
Inventories	'
	Inventories
	Major classes of inventories are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013		2012
	Grain	$	432,893	$	598,729
	Ethanol and by-products	14,453		22,927
	Agricultural fertilizer and supplies	100,593		88,429
	Lawn fertilizer and corncob products	39,960		37,292
	Retail merchandise	22,505		25,368
	Railcar repair parts	4,312		3,764
	Other	207		168
		$	614,923	$	776,677

Property_Plant_and_Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
	Property, Plant and Equipment
	The components of property, plant and equipment are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013		2012
	Land	$	21,801	$	22,258
	Land improvements and leasehold improvements	67,153		63,013
	Buildings and storage facilities	231,976		214,919
	Machinery and equipment	308,215		287,896
	Software	13,351		12,901
	Construction in progress	48,135		34,965
		690,631		635,952
	Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	303,173		277,074
		$	387,458	$	358,878
	Depreciation expense on property, plant and equipment amounted to $37.5 million, $27.4 million and
	$20.4 million for the years ended 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
	The Company recorded charges totaling $4.4 million for asset impairment, primarily due to the write down of asset values in Retail. The Company wrote down the value of these assets to the extent their carrying amounts exceeded fair value. The Company classified the significant assumptions used to determine the fair value of the impaired assets, which was not material, as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy.
	Railcars
	The components of Railcar assets leased to others are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013		2012
	Railcar assets leased to others	$	317,750	$	310,614
	Less: accumulated depreciation	77,129		82,284
		$	240,621	$	228,330
	Depreciation expense on railcar assets leased to others amounted to $14.7 million, $15.9 million and $13.8 million for the years ended 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Derivatives

Derivatives	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Derivatives	'
	Derivatives
	Commodity Contracts
	The Company’s operating results are affected by changes to commodity prices. The Grain and Ethanol businesses have established “unhedged” position limits (the amount of a commodity, either owned or contracted for, that does not have an offsetting derivative contract to lock in the price). To reduce the exposure to market price risk on commodities owned and forward grain and ethanol purchase and sale contracts, the Company enters into exchange traded commodity futures and options contracts and over the counter forward and option contracts with various counterparties. The exchange traded contracts are primarily via the regulated Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The Company’s forward purchase and sales contracts are for physical delivery of the commodity in a future period. Contracts to purchase commodities from producers generally relate to the current or future crop years for delivery periods quoted by regulated commodity exchanges. Contracts for the sale of commodities to processors or other commercial consumers generally do not extend beyond one year.
	All of these contracts meet the definition of derivatives. While the Company considers its commodity contracts to be effective economic hedges, the Company does not designate or account for its commodity contracts as hedges as defined under current accounting standards. The Company accounts for its commodity derivatives at estimated fair value, the same method it uses to value its grain inventory. The estimated fair value of the commodity derivative contracts that require the receipt or posting of cash collateral is recorded on a net basis (offset against cash collateral posted or received, also known as margin deposits) within commodity derivative assets or liabilities. Management determines fair value based on exchange-quoted prices and in the case of its forward purchase and sale contracts, estimated fair value is adjusted for differences in local markets and non-performance risk. For contracts for which physical delivery occurs, balance sheet classification is based on estimated delivery date. For futures, options and over-the-counter contracts in which physical delivery is not expected to occur but, rather, the contract is expected to be net settled, the Company classifies these contracts as current or noncurrent assets or liabilities, as appropriate, based on the Company’s expectations as to when such contracts will be settled.
	Realized and unrealized gains and losses in the value of commodity contracts (whether due to changes in commodity prices, changes in performance or credit risk, or due to sale, maturity or extinguishment of the commodity contract) and grain inventories are included in sales and merchandising revenues.
	Generally accepted accounting principles permit a party to a master netting arrangement to offset fair value amounts recognized for derivative instruments against the right to reclaim cash collateral or obligation to return cash collateral under the same master netting arrangement. The Company has master netting arrangements for its exchange traded futures and options contracts and certain over-the-counter contracts. When the Company enters into a future, option or an over-the-counter contract, an initial margin deposit may be required by the counterparty. The amount of the margin deposit varies by commodity. If the market price of a future, option or an over-the-counter contract moves in a direction that is adverse to the Company’s position, an additional margin deposit, called a maintenance margin, is required. The Company nets, by counterparty, its futures and over-the-counter positions against the cash collateral provided or received. The margin deposit assets and liabilities are included in short-term commodity derivative assets or liabilities, as appropriate, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
	The following table presents at December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, a summary of the estimated fair value of the Company’s commodity derivative instruments that require cash collateral and the associated cash posted/received as collateral. The net asset or liability positions of these derivatives (net of their cash collateral) are determined on a counterparty-by-counterparty basis and are included within short-term commodity derivative assets (or liabilities) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets:
		December 31, 2013							December 31, 2012
	(in thousands)	Net				Net			Net			Net
		derivative				derivative			derivative			derivative
		asset				liability			asset			liability
		position				position			position			position
	Collateral paid (received)	$	15,480			$	—		$	(13,772	)	$	—
	Fair value of derivatives	31,055				—			61,247			—
	Balance at end of period	$	46,535			$	—		$	47,475		$	—
	Certain of our contracts allow the Company to post items other than cash as collateral. Grain inventory posted as collateral on our derivative contracts are recorded in Inventories on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and the fair value of such inventory was $0.3 million and $7.7 million as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	The following table presents, on a gross basis, current and noncurrent commodity derivative assets and liabilities:
		31-Dec-13
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	69,289			$	246		$	1,286		$	49		$	70,870
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(13,450		)		—			(65,240		)	(6,693		)	(85,383		)
	Cash collateral	15,480				—			—			—			15,480
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	71,319			$	246		$	(63,954	)	$	(6,644	)	$	967
		31-Dec-12
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	137,119			$	2,059		$	5,233		$	130		$	144,541
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(20,242		)		(153		)	(38,510		)	(1,264		)	(60,169		)
	Cash collateral	(13,772		)		—			—			—			(13,772		)
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	103,105			$	1,906		$	(33,277	)	$	(1,134	)	$	70,600
	The gains included in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income and the line items in which they are located for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	Gains on commodity derivatives included in sales and merchandising revenues	$	138,787			$	40,214
	The Company had the following volume of commodity derivative contracts outstanding (on a gross basis) for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012:
		31-Dec-13
	Commodity	Number of bushels			Number of gallons			Number of pounds		Number of tons
		(in thousands)			(in thousands)			(in thousands)		(in thousands)
	Non-exchange traded:
	Corn	185,978			—			—		—
	Soybeans	18,047			—			—		—
	Wheat	11,485			—			—		—
	Oats	27,939			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			179,212			—		—
	Corn oil	—			—			25,911		—
	Other	81			—			—		89
	Subtotal	243,530			179,212			25,911		89
	Exchange traded:
	Corn	124,420			—			—		—
	Soybeans	11,030			—			—		—
	Wheat	23,980			—			—		—
	Oats	6,820			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			21,630			—		—
	Subtotal	166,250			21,630			—		—
	Total	409,780			200,842			25,911		89
		31-Dec-12
	Commodity	Number of bushels			Number of gallons			Number of pounds		Number of tons
		(in thousands)			(in thousands)			(in thousands)		(in thousands)
	Non-exchange traded:
	Corn	224,019			—			—		—
	Soybeans	14,455			—			—		—
	Wheat	19,407			—			—		—
	Oats	8,113			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			76,099			—		—
Corn oil	—			—			11,082		—
Other	27			—			—		72
Subtotal	266,021			76,099			11,082		72
Exchange traded:
Corn	106,305			—			—		—
Soybeans	8,820			—			—		—
Wheat	41,125			—			—		—
Oats	4,345			—			—		—
Bean oil	—			—			48,000		—
Ethanol	—			3,795			—		—
Other	—			—			—		1
Subtotal	160,595			3,795			48,000		1
Total	426,616			79,894			59,082		73
Interest Rate Derivatives
The Company periodically enters into interest rate contracts to manage interest rate risk on borrowing or financing activities. One of the Company's long-term interest rate swaps is recorded in other long-term liabilities and is designated as a cash flow hedge; accordingly, changes in the fair value of this instrument are recognized in other comprehensive income. The terms of the swap match the terms of the underlying debt instrument. The deferred derivative gains and losses on the interest rate swap are reclassified into income over the term of the underlying hedged items. For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company reclassified $0.5 million and $0.3 million of gross accumulated other comprehensive income into earnings, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company reclassified $0.1 million of accumulated other comprehensive loss into earnings. The Company expects to reclassify less than $0.5 million of accumulated other comprehensive loss into earnings in the next twelve months.
The Company has other interest rate contracts that are not designated as hedges. While the Company considers all of its interest rate derivative positions to be effective economic hedges of specified risks, these interest rate contracts are recorded on the balance sheet in other current assets or liabilities (if short-term in nature) or in other assets or other long-term liabilities (if non-current in nature) and changes in fair value are recognized currently in income as interest expense.
The following table presents the open interest rate contracts at December 31, 2013:
Interest Rate	Year Entered		Year of Maturity		Initial Notional Amount			Hedged Item		Interest
Hedging					(in millions)					Rate
Instrument
Short-term
Caps	2012		2014		$	40		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		0.8% to 1.4%
Long-term
Swap	2006		2016		$	4		Interest rate component of an operating lease - not accounted for as a hedge		5.20%
Swap	2006		2016		$	14		Interest rate component of debt - accounted for as cash flow hedge		6.00%
Swap	2012		2023		$	23		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		4.40%
Cap	2012		2015		$	10		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		0.90%
Cap	2012		2016		$	10		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		1.50%
Cap	2013		2021		$	20		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		0.80%
Collar	2013		2021		$	40		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		2.9% to 4.8%
At December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company had recorded the following amounts for the fair value of the Company's interest rate derivatives:
	December 31,
(in thousands)	2013				2012
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
Interest rate contracts included in other assets	$	1,179			$	23
Interest rate contracts included in other long term liabilities	(302		)		(592		)
Total fair value of interest rate derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	$	877			$	(569	)
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
Interest rate contract included in other long term liabilities	(1,036		)		(1,540		)
Total fair value of interest rate derivatives designated as hedging instruments	$	(1,036	)		$	(1,540	)
The gains (losses) included in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Income and the line item in which they are located for interest rate derivatives not designated as hedging instruments are as follows:
	Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2013				2012
Interest expense	$	1,409			$	(350	)

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Earnings Per Share	'
	Earnings Per Share
	Unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends are participating securities and are included in the computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. The two-class method of computing earnings per share is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for common stock and any participating securities according to dividends declared (whether paid or unpaid) and participation rights in undistributed earnings. The Company’s nonvested restricted stock is considered a participating security since the share-based awards contain a non-forfeitable right to dividends irrespective of whether the awards ultimately vest.
	The computation of basic and diluted earnings per share is as follows:
	(in thousands except per common share data)	Year ended December 31,
		2013		2012		2011
	Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$	89,939	$	79,480	$	95,106
	Less: Distributed and undistributed earnings allocated to nonvested restricted stock	357		389		369
	Earnings available to common shareholders	$	89,582	$	79,091	$	94,737
	Earnings per share – basic:
	Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	27,986		27,784		27,686
	Earnings per common share – basic	$	3.2	$	2.85	$	3.42
	Earnings per share – diluted:
	Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	27,986		27,784		27,686
	Effect of dilutive awards	200		255		243
	Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted	28,186		28,039		27,929
	Earnings per common share – diluted	$	3.18	$	2.82	$	3.39
	There were no antidilutive stock-based awards outstanding at December 31, 2013, 2012 or 2011.

Employee_Benefit_Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Employee Benefit Plans	'
	Employee Benefit Plans
	The Company provides full-time employees with pension benefits under defined benefit and defined contribution plans. The measurement date for all plans is December 31. The Company's expense for its defined contribution plans amounted to $10.3 million in 2013, $8.8 million in 2012 and $7.8 million in 2011. The Company also provides certain health insurance benefits to employees as well as retirees.
	The Company has both funded and unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plans. The plans provide defined benefits based on years of service and average monthly compensation using a career average formula. Pension benefits for the retail line of business employees were frozen at December 31, 2006. Pension benefits for the non-retail line of business employees were frozen at July 1, 2010.
	The Company also has postretirement health care benefit plans covering substantially all of its full time employees hired prior to January 1, 2003. These plans are generally contributory and include a cap on the Company's share of the related costs.
	Obligation and Funded Status
	Following are the details of the obligation and funded status of the pension and postretirement benefit plans:
	(in thousands)	Pension								Postretirement
		Benefits								Benefits
	Change in benefit obligation	2013				2012				2013				2012
	Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	117,890			$	109,976			$	36,054			$	31,558
	Service cost	—				—				841				752
	Interest cost	4,227				4,496				1,366				1,319
	Actuarial (gains) losses	(15,393		)		5,560				(4,359		)		2,969
	Participant contributions	—				—				514				487
	Retiree drug subsidy received	—				—				61				168
	Benefits paid	(3,112		)		(2,142		)		(1,094		)		(1,199		)
	Benefit obligation at end of year	$	103,612			$	117,890			$	33,383			$	36,054
	(in thousands)	Pension								Postretirement
		Benefits								Benefits
	Change in plan assets	2013				2012				2013				2012
	Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	99,857			$	87,605			$	—			$	—
	Actual gains on plan assets	12,487				11,178				—				—
	Company contributions	1,630				3,216				580				712
	Participant contributions	—				—				514				487
	Benefits paid	(3,112		)		(2,142		)		(1,094		)		(1,199		)
	Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	110,862			$	99,857			$	—			$	—
	Over (under) funded status of plans at end of year	$	7,250			$	(18,033	)		$	(33,383	)		$	(36,054	)
	Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2013 and 2012 consist of:
		Pension								Postretirement
		Benefits								Benefits
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2013				2012
	Accrued expenses	$	(254	)		$	(202	)		$	(1,244	)		$	(1,241	)
	Employee benefit plan assets	14,328				—				—				—
	Employee benefit plan obligations	(6,824		)		(17,831		)		(32,139		)		(34,813		)
	Net amount recognized	$	7,250			$	(18,033	)		$	(33,383	)		$	(36,054	)
	Following are the details of the pre-tax amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2013:
		Pension								Postretirement
		Benefits								Benefits
	(in thousands)	Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses				Unamortized Prior Service Costs				Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses				Unamortized Prior Service Costs
	Balance at beginning of year	$	59,941			$	—			$	17,570			$	(1,984	)
	Amounts arising during the period	(20,875		)		—				(4,359		)		—
	Amounts recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost	(1,530		)		—				(1,473		)		543
	Balance at end of year	$	37,536			$	—			$	11,738			$	(1,441	)
	The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss that are expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost during the next fiscal year are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Pension				Postretirement				Total
	Prior service cost	$	—			$	(543	)		$	(543	)
	Net actuarial loss	1,530				1,473				3,003
	Amounts applicable to the Company's defined benefit plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	Projected benefit obligation	$	7,078			$	117,890
	Accumulated benefit obligation	$	7,078			$	117,890
	The combined benefits expected to be paid for all Company defined benefit plans over the next ten years (in thousands) are as follows:
	Year		Expected Pension Benefit Payout				Expected Postretirement Benefit Payout				Medicare Part D
											Subsidy
	2014		$	4,155			$	1,399			$	(155	)
	2015		4,891				1,505				(175		)
	2016		5,194				1,609				(200		)
	2017		6,046				1,718				(229		)
	2018		6,299				1,817				(260		)
	2019-2023		33,076				10,683				(1,832		)
	Following are components of the net periodic benefit cost for each year:
		Pension												Postretirement
Benefits											Benefits
	December 31,												December 31,
(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011				2013				2012			2011
Service cost	$	—			$	—			$	—			$	841			$	752		$	555
Interest cost	4,227				4,496				4,578				1,366				1,319			1,285
Expected return on plan assets	(7,005		)		(6,145		)		(6,236		)		(543		)		(543		)	(543		)
Recognized net actuarial loss	1,530				1,497				940				1,473				1,280			901
Benefit cost (income)	$	(1,248	)		$	(152	)		$	(718	)		$	3,137			$	2,808		$	2,198
Following are weighted average assumptions of pension and postretirement benefits for each year:
	Pension									Postretirement
	Benefits									Benefits
	2013			2012			2011			2013			2012			2011
Used to Determine Benefit Obligations at Measurement Date
Discount rate (a)	4.7	%		3.8	%		4.3	%		4.8	%		3.9	%		4.3	%
Used to Determine Net Periodic Benefit Cost for Years ended December 31
Discount rate (b)	3.8	%		4.3	%		5.2	%		3.9	%		4.3	%		5.3	%
Expected long-term return on plan assets	7.25	%		7.25	%		7.75	%		—			—			—
Rate of compensation increases	N/A			N/A			3.5	%		—			—			—
(a)	In 2013, 2012 and 2011, the calculated discount rate for the unfunded pension plan was different than the defined benefit pension plan. The calculated rate for the supplemental employee retirement plan was 2.90%, 2.10% and 3.20% in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
(b)	In 2013, 2012 and 2011, the calculated discount rate for the unfunded pension plan was different than the defined benefit pension plan. The calculated rate for the supplemental employee retirement plan was 2.10%, 3.20% and 4.20% in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
The discount rate is calculated based on projecting future cash flows and aligning each year's cash flows to the Citigroup Pension Discount Curve and then calculating a weighted average discount rate for each plan. The Company has elected to use the nearest tenth of a percent from this calculated rate.
The expected long-term return on plan assets was determined based on the current asset allocation and historical results from plan inception. The expected long-term rate of return is based on plan assets earning the best rate of return while maintaining risk at acceptable levels. The rate is disclosed in the Plan Assets section of this Note. The plan strives to have assets sufficiently diversified so that adverse or unexpected results from one security class will not have an unduly detrimental impact on the entire portfolio.
Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates at Beginning of Year
	2013			2012
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year	6.5	%		7	%
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate)	5	%		5	%
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate	2017			2017
The assumed health care cost trend rate has an effect on the amounts reported for postretirement benefits. A one-percentage-point change in the assumed health care cost trend rate would have the following effects:
	One-Percentage-Point
(in thousands)	Increase				Decrease
Effect on total service and interest cost components in 2013	$	—			$	—
Effect on postretirement benefit obligation as of December 31, 2013	(116		)		101
Plan Assets
The Company's pension plan weighted average asset allocations at December 31 by asset category, are as follows:
Asset Category	2013			2012
Equity securities	51	%		54	%
Fixed income securities	48	%		45	%
Cash and equivalents	1	%		1	%
	100	%		100	%
The plan assets are allocated within the broader asset categories in investments that focus on more specific sectors. Within equity securities, subcategories include large cap growth, large cap value, small cap growth, small cap value, and internationally focused investment funds. These funds are judged in comparison to benchmark indexes that best match their specific category. Within fixed income securities, the funds are invested in a broad cross section of securities to ensure diversification. These include treasury, government agency, corporate, securitization, high yield, global, emerging market and other debt securities.
The investment policy and strategy for the assets of the Company's funded defined benefit plan includes the following objectives:
•	ensure superior long-term capital growth and capital preservation;
•	reduce the level of the unfunded accrued liability in the plan; and
•	offset the impact of inflation.
Risks of investing are managed through asset allocation and diversification. Investments are given extensive due diligence by an impartial third party investment firm. All investments are monitored and re-assessed by the Company's pension committee on a semi-annual basis. Available investment options include U.S. Government and agency bonds and instruments, equity and debt securities of public corporations listed on U.S. stock exchanges, exchange listed U.S. mutual funds and institutional portfolios investing in equity and debt securities of publicly traded domestic or international companies and cash or money market securities. In order to reduce risk and volatility, the Company has placed the following portfolio market value limits on its investments, to which the investments must be rebalanced after each quarterly cash contribution. Note that the single security restriction does not apply to mutual funds or institutional investment portfolios. No securities are purchased on margin, nor are any derivatives used to create leverage. The overall expected long-term rate of return is determined by using long-term historical returns for equity and fixed income securities in proportion to their weight in the investment portfolio.
	Percentage of Total Portfolio Market Value
	Minimum			Maximum			Single Security
Equity based	30	%		70	%		<5%
Fixed income based	20	%		70	%		<5%
Cash and equivalents	1	%		5	%		<5%
Alternative investments	—	%		20	%		<5%
The following table presents the fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan at December 31, 2013 and 2012:
(in thousands)	December 31, 2013
Assets	Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total
Mutual funds	$	15,898			$	—			$	—			$	15,898
Money market fund	—				987				—				987
Equity funds	—				40,702				—				40,702
Fixed income funds	—				53,275				—				53,275
Total	$	15,898			$	94,964			$	—			$	110,862
(in thousands)	December 31, 2012
Assets	Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total
Mutual funds	$	12,909			$	—			$	—			$	12,909
Money market fund	—				779				—				779
Equity funds	—				40,807				—				40,807
Fixed income funds	—				45,362				—				45,362
Total	$	12,909			$	86,948			$	—			$	99,857
There is no equity or debt of the Company included in the assets of the defined benefit plan.
Cash Flows
The Company does not expect to make contributions to the defined benefit pension plan in 2014. The Company reserves the right to make contributions in an amount of its choosing. For the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company contributed $1.5 million to the defined benefit pension plan.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	Segment Information
	The Company’s operations include six reportable business segments that are distinguished primarily on the basis of products and services offered. The Grain business includes grain merchandising, the operation of terminal grain elevator facilities and the investments in Lansing Trade Group, LLC (“LTG”) and the Thompsons Limited joint ventures. The Ethanol business purchases and sells ethanol and also manages the ethanol production facilities organized as limited liability companies, one of which is consolidated and three of which are investments accounted for under the equity method, and also has various service contracts for these investments. Rail operations include the leasing, marketing and fleet management of railcars and locomotives, railcar repair and metal fabrication. The Plant Nutrient business manufactures and distributes agricultural inputs, primarily fertilizer, to dealers and farmers. Turf & Specialty operations include the production and distribution of turf care and corncob-based products. The Retail business operates large retail stores, a specialty food market, a distribution center and a lawn and garden equipment sales and service facility. Included in “Other” are the corporate level amounts not attributable to an operating segment.
	The segment information below includes the allocation of expenses shared by one or more operating segments. Although management believes such allocations are reasonable, the operating information does not necessarily reflect how such data might appear if the segments were operated as separate businesses. Inter-segment sales are made at prices comparable to normal, unaffiliated customer sales. Capital expenditures include additions to property, plant and equipment, software and intangible assets.
	During the first quarter, approximately $28 million of assets specific to the agronomy business that was included in the purchase of certain assets of Green Plains Grain Company, LLC in the fourth quarter of 2012 were reclassified from the Grain segment to the Plant Nutrient Segment. Corresponding items of segment information have been reclassified to conform to current year presentation.
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Revenues from external customers
	Grain	$	3,617,943		$	3,293,632		$	2,849,358
	Ethanol	831,965			742,929			641,546
	Plant Nutrient	708,654			797,033			690,631
	Rail	164,794			156,426			107,459
	Turf & Specialty	140,512			131,026			129,716
	Retail	140,706			150,964			157,621
	Total	$	5,604,574		$	5,272,010		$	4,576,331
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Inter-segment sales
	Grain	$	1		$	409		$	2
	Plant Nutrient	17,537			16,135			16,527
	Rail	427			622			593
	Turf & Specialty	2,255			2,350			2,062
	Total	$	20,220		$	19,516		$	19,184
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Interest expense (income)
	Grain	$	9,567		$	12,174		$	13,277
	Ethanol	1,038			759			1,048
	Plant Nutrient	3,312			2,832			3,517
	Rail	5,544			4,807			5,677
	Turf & Specialty	1,237			1,233			1,381
	Retail	689			776			899
	Other	(527		)	(426		)	(543		)
	Total	$	20,860		$	22,155		$	25,256
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates
	Grain	$	33,122		$	29,080		$	23,748
	Ethanol	35,583			(12,598		)	17,715
	Plant Nutrient	—			5			(13		)
	Total	$	68,705		$	16,487		$	41,450
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Other income, net
	Grain	$	2,120		$	2,548		$	2,462
	Ethanol	399			53			159
	Plant Nutrient	1,093			1,917			704
	Rail	7,666			7,136			2,866
	Turf & Specialty	690			784			880
	Retail	501			554			638
	Other	2,407			1,733			213
	Total	$	14,876		$	14,725		$	7,922
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Income (loss) before income taxes
	Grain	$	46,805		$	63,597		$	87,288
	Ethanol	50,600			(3,720		)	23,344
	Plant Nutrient	27,275			39,254			38,267
	Rail	42,785			42,841			9,778
	Turf & Specialty	4,744			2,216			2,000
	Retail	(7,534		)	(3,951		)	(1,520		)
	Other	(20,925		)	(16,189		)	(12,998		)
	Noncontrolling interests	5,763			(3,915		)	1,719
	Total	$	149,513		$	120,133		$	147,878
	Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
Identifiable assets
Grain (a)	$	921,914		$	1,076,986		$	883,395
Ethanol (b)	229,797			206,975			148,975
Plant Nutrient (b)	268,238			257,980			240,543
Rail (b)	312,654			289,467			246,188
Turf & Specialty (b)	89,939			82,683			69,487
Retail (c)	44,910			51,772			52,018
Other (d)	406,104			216,441			93,517
Total	$	2,273,556		$	2,182,304		$	1,734,123
(a) Decrease related to impact of prices on receivables and commodity derivative assets and lower inventory levels
(b) See Note 12. Business Acquisitions for identifiable assets acquired during the periods presented
(c) Decrease related to closing of the Woodville store in the first quarter of 2013 and asset impairments described in Note 3. Property, Plant, and Equipment
(d) Change driven by increase in cash and cash equivalents and capitalized software
	Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
Capital expenditures
Grain	$	8,535		$	30,178		$	24,284
Ethanol	4,052			1,966			—
Plant Nutrient	17,094			18,038			13,296
Rail	4,135			3,896			1,478
Turf & Specialty	6,563			5,043			2,089
Retail	2,944			2,794			1,230
Other	3,463			7,102			1,785
Total	$	46,786		$	69,017		$	44,162
	Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired and investments in affiliates
Grain	$	51,544		$	116,888		$	—
Ethanol	—			77,400			—
Plant Nutrient	—			15,286			2,386
Rail	7,804			—			—
Turf & Specialty	4,103			10,683			—
Other	1,050			—			100
Total	$	64,501		$	220,257		$	2,486
	Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
Depreciation and amortization
Grain (e)	$	15,620		$	9,554		$	9,625
Ethanol (f)	5,909			5,003			382
Plant Nutrient	14,143			12,014			9,913
Rail	12,031			15,929			14,780
Turf & Specialty	3,070			2,117			1,801
Retail	3,119			3,002			2,770
Other	1,415			1,358			1,566
Total	$	55,307		$	48,977		$	40,837
(e) Increase driven by acquisition of GPG in December 2012
(f) Increase driven by acquisition of TADE in May 2012
Grain sales for export to foreign markets amounted to $220 million, $261.8 million and $164.8 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively - the majority of which were sales to Canadian customers. Revenues from leased railcars in Canada totaled $8.7 million, $10.6 million and $13.3 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. The net book value of the leased railcars in Canada for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 was $18.3 million and $38.5 million, respectively. Lease revenue on railcars in Mexico totaled $0.4 million in 2013, $0.4 million in 2012 and $0.4 million in 2011.

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]	'
Related Party Transactions	'
	Related Party Transactions
	Equity Method Investments
	The Company, directly or indirectly, holds investments in companies that are accounted for under the equity method. The Company’s equity in these entities is presented at cost plus its accumulated proportional share of income or loss, less any distributions it has received.
	In January 2003, the Company became a minority investor in LTG, which focuses on grain merchandising as well as trading related to the energy and biofuels industry. The Company does not hold a majority of the outstanding shares. In addition, all major operating decisions of LTG are made by LTG's Board of Directors and the Company does not have a majority of the board seats. Due to these factors, the Company does not have control over LTG and therefore accounts for this investment under the equity method. The Company sells and purchases both grain and ethanol with LTG in the ordinary course of business on terms similar to sales and purchases with unrelated customers.
	In 2005, the Company became a minority investor in The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC (“TAAE”). TAAE is a producer of ethanol and its co-products distillers dried grains (“DDG”) and corn oil at its 55 million gallon-per-year ethanol production facility in Albion, Michigan. The Company operates the facility under a management contract and provides corn origination, ethanol, corn oil and DDG marketing and risk management services. The Company is separately compensated for all such services except corn oil marketing. The Company also leases its Albion, Michigan grain facility to TAAE. While the Company holds 53% of the outstanding units of TAAE, a super-majority vote is required for all major operating decisions of TAAE based on the terms of the Operating Agreement. The Company has concluded that the super-majority vote requirement gives the minority shareholders substantive participating rights and therefore consolidation for book purposes is not appropriate. The Company accounts for its investment in TAAE under the equity method of accounting.
	In 2006, the Company became a minority investor in The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC (“TACE”). TACE is also a producer of ethanol and its co-products DDG and corn oil at a 110 million gallon-per-year ethanol production facility in Clymers, Indiana. The Company operates the facility under a management contract and provides corn origination, ethanol, corn oil and DDG marketing and risk management services for which it is separately compensated. The Company also leases its Clymers, Indiana grain facility to TACE.
	In 2006, the Company became a minority investor in The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC (“TAME”). TAME is also a producer of ethanol and its co-products DDG and corn oil at a 110 million gallon-per-year ethanol production facility in Greenville, Ohio. In January 2007, the Company transferred its 50% share in TAME to The Andersons Ethanol Investment LLC (“TAEI”), a consolidated subsidiary of the Company, of which a third party owns 34% of the shares. The Company operates the facility under a management contract and provides corn origination, ethanol, corn oil and DDG marketing and risk management services for which it is separately compensated. In 2009, TAEI invested an additional $1.1 million in TAME, retaining a 50% ownership interest.
	The Company has marketing agreements with TAAE, TACE, and TAME ("the three unconsolidated ethanol LLCs") under which the Company purchases and markets the ethanol produced to external customers. As compensation for these marketing services, the Company earns a fee on each gallon of ethanol sold. For two of the LLCs, the Company purchases all of the ethanol produced and then sells it to external parties. For the third LLC, the Company buys only a portion of the ethanol produced. The Company acts as the principal in these ethanol sales transactions to external parties as the Company has ultimate responsibility of performance to the external parties. Substantially all of these purchases and subsequent sales are executed through forward contracts on matching terms and, outside of the fee the Company earns for each gallon sold, the Company does not recognize any gross profit on the sales transactions. For the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, revenues recognized for the sale of ethanol purchased from related parties were $613.7 million, $683.1 million and $678.8 million, respectively. In addition to the ethanol marketing agreements, the Company holds corn origination agreements, under which the Company originates all of the corn used in production for each unconsolidated ethanol LLC. For this service, the Company receives a unit based fee. Similar to the ethanol sales described above, the Company acts as a principal in these transactions, and accordingly, records revenues on a gross basis. For the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, revenues recognized for the sale of corn under these agreements were $719.5 million, $676.3 million and $706.6 million, respectively. As part of the corn origination agreements, the Company also markets the DDG produced by the entities. For this service the Company receives a unit based fee. The Company does not purchase any of the DDG from the ethanol entities; however, as part of the agreement, the Company guarantees payment by the customer for DDG sales where the Company has identified the buyer. At December 31, 2013 and 2012, the three unconsolidated ethanol entities had a combined receivable balance for DDG of $9.2 million and $9.4 million, respectively, of which only $3,100 and $3,800, respectively, was more than thirty days past due. The Company has concluded that the fair value of this guarantee is inconsequential.
	On July 31, 2013, the Company, along with Lansing Trade Group, LLC established joint ventures that acquired 100% of the stock of Thompsons Limited, including its investment in the related U.S. operating company, for a purchase price of $152 million, which included an adjustment for excess working capital. The purchase price included $48 million cash paid by the Company, $40 million cash paid by LTG, and $64 million of external debt at Thompsons Limited. As part of the purchase LTG also contributed a Canadian branch of its business to Thompsons Limited. Each Company owns 50% of the investment. Thompsons Limited is a grain and food-grade bean handler and agronomy input provider, headquartered in Blenheim, Ontario, and operates 12 locations across Ontario and Minnesota. The Company does not hold a majority of the outstanding shares of Thompsons Limited joint ventures. All major operating decisions of these joint ventures are made by their Board of Directors and the Company does not have a majority of the board seats. Due to these factors, the Company does not have control over these joint ventures and therefore accounts for these investments under the equity method of accounting.
	The following table presents aggregate summarized financial information of LTG, TAAE, TACE, TAME, Thompsons Limited, and other various investments as they qualified as significant subsidiaries in the aggregate. LTG was the only equity method investment that qualified as a significant subsidiary individually for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	Sales	$	10,232,395			$	8,080,741			$	6,935,755
	Gross profit	305,016				130,241				165,793
	Income from continuing operations	148,583				34,161				90,510
	Net income	144,699				32,451				87,673
	Current assets	1,406,200				1,266,311
	Non-current assets	508,319				326,776
	Current liabilities	1,040,762				1,062,181
	Non-current liabilities	244,910				123,991
	Noncontrolling interests	20,118				22,745
	The following table presents the Company’s investment balance in each of its equity method investees by entity:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	$	40,194			$	30,227
	The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	44,418				33,119
	The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	46,811				32,996
	Lansing Trade Group, LLC	106,028				92,094
	Thompsons Limited (a)	49,833				—
	Other	3,825				2,472
	Total	$	291,109			$	190,908
	(a)	Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures
	The following table summarizes income (losses) earned from the Company’s equity method investments by entity:
		% ownership at		December 31,
		31-Dec-13
		(direct and indirect)
	(in thousands)			2013				2012				2011
	The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	53%		$	10,469			$	(497	)		$	5,285
	The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	38%		11,299				(3,828		)		4,341
	The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	50%		13,815				(8,273		)		8,089
	Lansing Trade Group, LLC	49% (a)		31,212				28,559				23,558
	Thompsons Limited (b)	50%		1,634				—				—
	Other	5%-23%		276				526				177
	Total			$	68,705			$	16,487			$	41,450
	(a)	This does not consider the restricted management units which once vested will reduced the ownership percentage by approximately 1.5%.
	(b)	Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures
	Total distributions received from unconsolidated affiliates were $17.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2013. The balance in retained earnings at December 31, 2013 that represents the undistributed earnings of the Company's equity method investments is $110.1 million.
	Investment in Debt Securities
	The Company owns 100% of the cumulative convertible preferred shares of Iowa Northern Railway Corporation (“IANR”), which operates a short-line railroad in Iowa. As a result of this investment, the Company has a 49.9% voting interest in IANR, with the remaining 50.1% voting interest held by the common shareholders. The preferred shares have certain rights associated with them, including voting, dividends, liquidation, redemption and conversion. Dividends accrue to the Company at a rate of 14% annually whether or not declared by IANR and are cumulative in nature. The Company can convert its preferred shares into common shares of IANR at any time, but the shares cannot be redeemed until May 2015. This investment is accounted for as “available-for-sale” debt securities in accordance with ASC 320 and is carried at estimated fair value in “Other noncurrent assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet. The estimated fair value of the Company’s investment in IANR as of December 31, 2013 was $25.7 million.
	Based on the Company’s assessment, IANR is considered a variable interest entity (“VIE”). Since the Company does not possess the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, it is not considered to be the primary beneficiary of IANR and therefore does not consolidate IANR. The decisions that most significantly impact the economic performance of IANR are made by IANR’s Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has five directors; two directors from the Company, two directors from the common shareholders and one independent director who is elected by unanimous decision of the other four directors. The vote of four of the five directors is required for all key decisions.
	The Company’s current maximum exposure to loss related to IANR is $31.2 million, which represents the Company’s investment at fair value plus unpaid accrued dividends to date of $5.5 million. The Company does not have any obligation or commitments to provide additional financial support to IANR.
	In the ordinary course of business, the Company will enter into related party transactions with each of the investments described above, along with other related parties. The following table sets forth the related party transactions entered into for the time periods presented:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	Sales revenues	$	1,315,234			$	1,031,458			$	841,366
	Service fee revenues (a)	23,536				22,165				22,850
	Purchases of product	704,948				655,686				636,144
	Lease income (b)	6,223				6,995				6,128
	Labor and benefits reimbursement (c)	10,613				12,140				10,784
	Other expenses (d)	2,349				1,093				192
	Accounts receivable at December 31 (e)	21,979				28,610				14,730
	Accounts payable at December 31 (f)	19,887				17,804				24,530
	(a)	Service fee revenues include management fee, corn origination fee, ethanol and DDG marketing fees, and other commissions.
(b)	Lease income includes the lease of the Company’s Albion, Michigan and Clymers, Indiana grain facilities as well as certain railcars to the unconsolidated ethanol LLCs and IANR.
(c)	The Company provides all operational labor to the unconsolidated ethanol LLCs and charges them an amount equal to the Company’s costs of the related services.
(d)	Other expenses include payments to IANR for repair facility rent and use of their railroad reporting mark, payment to LTG for the lease of railcars and other various expenses.
(e)	Accounts receivable represents amounts due from related parties for sales of corn, leasing revenue and service fees.
(f)	Accounts payable represents amounts due to related parties for purchases of ethanol and other various items.
From time to time, the Company enters into derivative contracts with certain of its related parties, including the unconsolidated ethanol LLCs, LTG, and the Thompsons Limited joint ventures, for the purchase and sale of grain and ethanol, for similar price risk mitigation purposes and on similar terms as the purchase and sale derivative contracts it enters into with unrelated parties. The fair value of derivative contracts with related parties was a gross asset for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 of $8.9 million and $3.2 million, respectively. The fair value of derivative contracts with related parties was a gross liability for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 of $1.2 million and $0.3 million, respectively.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Fair Value Measurements	'
	Fair Value Measurements
	Generally accepted accounting principles define fair value as an exit price and also establish a framework for measuring fair value. An exit price represents the amount that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. Fair value should be determined based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. As a basis for considering such assumptions, a three-tier fair value hierarchy is used, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value as follows:
	•	Level 1 inputs: Quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets;
	•	Level 2 inputs: Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level 1 that are observable for the asset or liability either directly or indirectly; and
	•	Level 3 inputs: Unobservable inputs (e.g., a reporting entity's own data).
	In many cases, a valuation technique used to measure fair value includes inputs from multiple levels of the fair value hierarchy. The lowest level of significant input determines the placement of the entire fair value measurement in the hierarchy.
	The following table presents the Company's assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2013 and 2012:
	(in thousands)	December 31, 2013
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3				Total
	Cash equivalents	$	97,751	$	—		$	—			$	97,751
	Restricted cash	408		—			—				408
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	50,777		(49,810		)	—				967
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			25,720				25,720
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	10,143		(159		)	—				9,984
	Total	$	159,079	$	(49,969	)	$	25,720			$	134,830
	(in thousands)	December 31, 2012
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3				Total
	Cash equivalents	$	78,674	$	—		$	—			$	78,674
	Restricted cash	398		—			—				398
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	46,966		23,634			—				70,600
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			17,200				17,200
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	7,813		(2,109		)	—				5,704
	Total	$	133,851	$	21,525		$	17,200			$	172,576
	(a)	Includes associated cash posted/received as collateral
	(b)	Recorded in “Other noncurrent assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets
	(c)	Included in other assets and liabilities is interest rate and foreign currency derivatives, swaptions (Level 2) and deferred compensation assets (Level 1)
	Level 1 commodity derivatives reflect the fair value of the exchanged-traded futures and options contracts that the Company holds, net of the cash collateral that the Company has in its margin account.
	The majority of the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value are based on the market approach valuation technique. With the market approach, fair value is derived using prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities.
	The Company’s net commodity derivatives primarily consist of futures or options contracts via regulated exchanges and contracts with producers or customers under which the future settlement date and bushels (or gallons in the case of ethanol contracts) of commodities to be delivered (primarily wheat, corn, soybeans and ethanol) are fixed and under which the price may or may not be fixed. Depending on the specifics of the individual contracts, the fair value is derived from the futures or options prices on the CME or the New York Mercantile Exchange for similar commodities and delivery dates as well as observable quotes for local basis adjustments (the difference, which is attributable to local market conditions, between the quoted futures price and the local cash price). Because “basis” for a particular commodity and location typically has multiple quoted prices from other agribusinesses in the same geographical vicinity and is used as a common pricing mechanism in the Agribusiness industry, we have concluded that “basis” is a Level 2 fair value input for purposes of the fair value disclosure requirements related to our commodity derivatives. Although nonperformance risk, both of the Company and the counterparty, is present in each of these commodity contracts and is a component of the estimated fair values, based on the Company’s historical experience with its producers and customers and the Company’s knowledge of their businesses, the Company does not view nonperformance risk to be a significant input to fair value for these commodity contracts.
	The Company’s convertible preferred securities are measured at fair value using a combination of the income approach on a quarterly basis and the market approach on an annual basis. Specifically, the income approach incorporates the use of the Discounted Cash Flow method, whereas the Market Approach incorporates the use of the Guideline Public Company method. Application of the Discounted Cash Flow method requires estimating the annual cash flows that the business enterprise is expected to generate in the future. The assumptions input into this method are estimated annual cash flows for a specified estimation period, the discount rate, and the terminal value at the end of the estimation period. In the Guideline Public Company method, valuation multiples, including total invested capital, are calculated based on financial statements and stock price data from selected guideline publicly traded companies. On an annual basis, a comparative analysis is then performed for factors including, but not limited to size, profitability and growth to determine fair value.
	A reconciliation of beginning and ending balances for the Company’s fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs is as follows:
		2013		2012
	(in thousands)	Convertible		Interest			Convertible				Commodity
		preferred		rate			preferred				derivatives,
		securities		derivatives			securities				net
				and
				swaptions
	Asset (liability) at December 31,	$	17,220	$	(2,178	)	$	20,360			$	2,467
	Gains (losses) included in earnings:
	Unrealized gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	8,500		—			(3,140		)		—
	Transfers to level 2	—		2,178			—				(2,467		)
	Asset (liability) at December 31,	$	25,720	$	—		$	17,220			$	—
	The following table summarizes information about the Company's Level 3 fair value measurements as of December 31, 2013:
	Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
							Range
	(in thousands)	Fair Value as of 12/31/13		Valuation Method		Unobservable Input	Low			High			Weighted Average
	Convertible Preferred Securities	$	25,720	Market Approach		EBITDA Multiples	7.5			8			7.75
				Income Approach		Discount Rate	14.5	%		14.5	%		14.5	%
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments
	Certain long-term notes payable and the Company’s debenture bonds bear fixed rates of interest and terms of up to 15 years. Based upon the Company’s credit standing and current interest rates offered by the Company on similar bonds and rates currently available to the Company for long-term borrowings with similar terms and remaining maturities, the Company estimates the fair values of its long-term debt instruments outstanding at December 31, 2013 and 2012, as follows:
	(in thousands)	Carrying Amount		Fair Value			Fair Value Hierarchy Level
	2013:00:00
	Fixed rate long-term notes payable	$	270,112	$	271,716		Level 2
	Debenture bonds	41,131		42,475			Level 2
		$	311,243	$	314,191
	2012:00:00
	Fixed rate long-term notes payable	$	263,745	$	279,505		Level 2
	Long-term notes payable, non-recourse	785		800			Level 2
	Debenture bonds	35,411		37,135			Level 2
		$	299,941	$	317,440
	The fair value of the Company’s cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their carrying value as they are close to maturity.

Debt

Debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Debt	'
	Debt
	Borrowing Arrangements
	The Company maintains a borrowing arrangement with a syndicate of banks, which was amended on December 7, 2011, and provides the Company with $735.0 million (“Line A”) in short-term lines of credit and $115.0 million (“Line B”) in long-term lines of credit. It also provides the Company with $90 million in letters of credit. Any amounts outstanding on letters of credit will reduce the amount available on the lines of credit. The Company had standby letters of credit outstanding of $29.9 million at December 31, 2013. As of December 31, 2013, the Company had no outstanding borrowings on the lines of credit. Borrowings under the line(s) of credit bear interest at variable interest rates, which are based off LIBOR plus an applicable spread. The maturity date for Line A is December 2014. The maturity date for Line B is September 2015. Draw downs and repayments that are less than 90 days are recorded on a net basis in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
	The Company also has $28.1 million of lines of credit related to The Andersons Denison Ethanol LLC ("TADE"), a consolidated subsidiary. TADE entered into borrowing arrangements with a syndicate of financial institutions upon acquisition of the entity in the second quarter of 2012 which provides a $13.0 million short-term line of credit, a $15.1 million long-term line of credit, and a $12.4 million term loan. TADE had standby letters of credit outstanding of $0.5 million at December 31, 2013, which reduces the amount available on the lines of credit. As of December 31, 2013, the Company had no outstanding borrowings on the lines of credit and $10.1 million in borrowings were outstanding on the term loan. Borrowings under the line(s) of credit and the term loan bear interest at variable interest rates, which are based off LIBOR plus an applicable spread. The maturity date for the short-term line of credit is July 1, 2014, January 20, 2022 for the long-term line of credit and January 1, 2017 for the term loan. TADE was in compliance with all financial and non-financial covenants as of December 31, 2013, including but not limited to minimum working capital and net worth. TADE debt is collateralized by the mortgage on the ethanol facility and related equipment or other assets and is not guaranteed by the Company, therefore it is considered non-recourse debt.
	The long-term portion of the syndicate line can be drawn on and the resulting debt considered long-term when used for long-term purposes such as replacing long-term debt that is maturing, funding the purchase of long-term assets, or increasing permanent working capital when needed. The expectation at the time of drawing is that it will be kept open until more permanent replacement debt is established, until other long-term assets are sold, or earnings are generated to pay it down.
	The Company’s short-term and long-term debt at December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 consisted of the following:
	(in thousands)	December 31,			December 31,
		2013			2012
	Borrowings under short-term line of credit - nonrecourse	$	—		$	4,219
	Borrowings under short-term line of credit - recourse	—			20,000
	Total borrowings under short-term line of credit	$	—		$	24,219
	Current maturities of long -term debt – nonrecourse	$	6,012		$	2,496
	Current maturities of long-term debt – recourse	45,986			12,649
	Total current maturities of long-term debt	$	51,998		$	15,145
	Long-term debt, less current maturities – nonrecourse	$	4,063		$	20,067
	Long-term debt, less current maturities – recourse	371,150			407,176
	Total long-term debt, less current maturities	$	375,213		$	427,243
	The following information relates to short-term borrowings:
		December 31,
	(in thousands, except percentages)	2013			2012			2011
	Maximum amount borrowed	$	315,000		$	553,400		$	601,500
	Weighted average interest rate	1.92		%	1.96		%	2.73		%
	Long-Term Debt
	Recourse Debt
	Long-term debt consists of the following:
		December 31,
	(in thousands, except percentages)	2013			2012
	Senior note payable, 3.72%, payable at maturity, due 2017	$	25,000		$	25,000
	Senior note payable, 6.10%, payable at maturity, due 2014	25,000			25,000
	Senior note payable, 6.12%, payable at maturity, due 2015	61,500			61,500
	Senior note payable, 6.78%, payable at maturity, due 2018	41,500			41,500
	Note payable, 4.92%, $2 million annually ($2.5 million for 2013), plus interest, due 2021 (a)	27,178			27,833
	Note payable, 4.76%, payable in increasing amounts ($1.7 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2028 (a)	53,600			55,300
	Note payable, variable rate (2.67% at December 31, 2013), payable in increasing amounts ($1.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2023 (a)	23,015			24,188
	Note payable, 3.29%, payable in increasing amounts ($1.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2022 (a)	25,366			26,533
	Line of credit, variable rate (1.87% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2015	—			25,000
	Notes payable, variable rate (1.42% at December 31, 2013), payable in varying amounts, (7.6 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2016	22,120			12,058
	Note payable, variable rate (1.64% at December 31, 2013), payable in increasing amounts ($1.0 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2023 (a)	11,865			12,815
	Note payable, variable rate (.97% at December 31, 2013), $0.7 million annually, plus interest, due 2016 (a)	8,750			9,450
	Note payable, 8.5%, payable monthly in varying amounts ($0.1 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2016 (a)	988			1,079
	Note payable, 4.76%, payable quarterly in varying amounts ($0.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2028 (a)	9,980			—
	Note payable, 3.56%, payable monthly in varying amounts plus interest, due 2021 (a)	3,459			—
	Industrial development revenue bonds:
	Variable rate (2.55% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2017 (a)	7,934			8,408
	Variable rate (1.97% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2019 (a)	4,650			4,650
	Variable rate (2.10% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2025 (a)	3,100			3,100
	Variable rate (1.81% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2036 (a)	21,000			21,000
	Debenture bonds, 2.65% to 5.00%, due 2014 through 2028	41,131			35,411
		417,136			419,825
	Less: current maturities	45,986			12,649
		$	371,150		$	407,176
	(a)	Debt is collateralized by first mortgages on certain facilities and related equipment or other assets with a book value of $151.7 million
	During the year, the Company obtained a $10.2 million, fifteen-year loan with a fixed interest rate of 4.76%, which is collateralized by the mortgage of a grain facility. The Company also obtained a $3.5 million, eight-year loan with fixed interest rate of 3.56%, which is secured by certain railcar assets.
	At December 31, 2013, the Company had $4.5 million of five-year term debenture bonds bearing interest at 2.65%, $3.7 million of ten-year term debenture bonds bearing interest at 3.50% and $3.8 million of fifteen-year term debenture bonds bearing interest at 4.50% available for sale under an existing registration statement.
	The Company's short-term and long-term borrowing agreements include both financial and non-financial covenants that, among other things, require the Company at a minimum to maintain:
	•	tangible net worth of not less than $300 million;
	•	current ratio net of hedged inventory of not less than 1.25 to 1.00;
	•	debt to capitalization ratio of not more than 70%;
	•	asset coverage ratio of not more than 75%; and
	•	interest coverage ratio of not less than 2.75 to 1.00.
	The Company was in compliance with all covenants at and during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.
	The aggregate annual maturities of long-term debt are as follows: 2014 -- $46.0 million; 2015 -- $86.1 million; 2016 -- $26.4 million; 2017 -- $46.8 million; 2018 -- $51.9 million; and $159.9 million thereafter.
	Non-Recourse Debt
The Company's non-recourse long-term debt consists of the following:
	December 31,
(in thousands, except percentages)	2013			2012
Line of credit, variable rate (3.92% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2022	$	—		$	9,378
Note payable, variable rate (3.92% at December 31, 2013), payable quarterly ($2.3 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2017	10,075			12,400
Other notes payable	—			785
	10,075			22,563
Less: current maturities	6,012			2,496
	$	4,063		$	20,067
The Company's non-recourse debt held by TADE includes separate financial covenants relating solely to the collateralized TADE assets. Triggering one or more of these covenants for a specified period of time could result in the acceleration in amortization of the outstanding debt. The covenants require the following:
•	tangible net worth of not less than $27 million (increasing to $33 million effective December 31, 2014, $36 million effective December 31, 2015 and $40 million effective December 31, 2016);
•	working capital not less than $5.0 million (increasing to $8 million effective December 31, 2014); and
•	debt service coverage ratio of not less than 1.25 to 1.00 beginning December 31, 2014.
The aggregate annual maturities of non-recourse, long-term debt are as follows: 2014 -- $6.0 million; 2015 -- $3.1 million; and 2016 -- $1.0 million.
Interest paid (including interest on short-term lines of credit) amounted to $22.9 million, $21.7 million and $25.2 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Commitments and Contingencies	'
	Commitments and Contingencies
	Litigation activities
	The Company is party to litigation, or threats thereof, both as defendant and plaintiff with some regularity, although individual cases that are material in size occur infrequently. As a defendant, the Company establishes reserves for claimed amounts that are considered probable, and capable of estimation. If those cases are resolved for lesser amounts, the excess reserves are taken into income and, conversely, if those cases are resolved for larger than the amount the Company has accrued, the Company records a charge to income. The Company believes it is unlikely that the results of its current legal proceedings for which it is the defendant, even if unfavorable, will be material. As a plaintiff, amounts that are collected can also result in sudden, non-recurring income. Litigation results depend upon a variety of factors, including the availability of evidence, the credibility of witnesses, the performance of counsel, the state of the law, and the impressions of judges and jurors, any of which can be critical in importance, yet difficult, if not impossible, to predict. Consequently, cases currently pending, or future matters, may result in unexpected, and non-recurring losses, or income, from time to time. Finally, litigation results are often subject to judicial reconsideration, appeal and further negotiation by the parties, and as a result, the final impact of a particular judicial decision may be unknown for some time, or may result in continued reserves to account for the potential of such post-verdict actions. In the third quarter, the Company recorded a $3.5 million gain in other income related to the settlement of an early rail lease termination.
	The estimated range of loss for all outstanding claims that are considered reasonably possible of occurring is not material. We have received, and are cooperating fully with, a request for information from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“U.S. EPA”) regarding the history of our grain and fertilizer facility along the Maumee River in Toledo, Ohio. The U.S. EPA is investigating the possible introduction into the Maumee River of hazardous materials potentially leaching from rouge piles deposited along the riverfront by glass manufacturing operations that existed in the area prior to our initial acquisition of the land in 1960. We have on several prior occasions cooperated with local, state and federal regulators to install or improve drainage systems to contain storm water runoff and sewer discharges along our riverfront property to minimize the potential for such leaching. Other area land owners and the successor to the original glass making operations have also been contacted by the U.S. EPA for information. No claim or finding has been asserted thus far.
	Railcar leasing activities
	The Company is a lessor of railcars. The majority of railcars are leased to customers under operating leases that may be either net leases (where the customer pays for all maintenance) or full service leases (where the Company provides maintenance and fleet management services). The Company also provides such services to financial intermediaries to whom it has sold railcars and locomotives in non-recourse lease transactions. Fleet management services generally include maintenance, escrow, tax filings and car tracking services.
	Many of the Company's leases provide for renewals. The Company also generally holds purchase options for railcars it has sold and leased-back from a financial intermediary, and railcars sold in non-recourse lease transactions. These purchase options are for stated amounts which are determined at the inception of the lease and are intended to approximate the estimated fair value of the applicable railcars at the date for which such purchase options can be exercised.
	Lease income from operating leases (with the Company as lessor) to customers (including month-to-month and per diem leases) and rental expense for railcar operating leases (with the Company as lessee) were as follows:
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013		2012		2011
	Rental and service income - operating leases	$	78,979	$	77,916	$	68,124
	Rental expense	$	13,751	$	11,987	$	16,303
	Lease income recognized under per diem arrangements (described in Note 1) totaled $2.0 million, $2.1 million, and $2.9 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively, and is included in the amounts above.
	Future minimum rentals and service income for all noncancelable railcar operating leases are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Future Rental and Service Income - Operating Leases		Future Minimum
				Rental Payments
	Year ended December 31,
	2014	$	61,670	$	15,679
	2015	48,109		15,120
	2016	36,714		13,101
	2017	25,641		10,658
	2018	15,324		7,136
	Future years	20,812		10,410
		$	208,270	$	72,104
	The Company also arranges non-recourse lease transactions under which it sells railcars or locomotives to financial intermediaries and assigns the related operating lease on a non-recourse basis. The Company generally provides ongoing railcar maintenance and management services for the financial intermediaries, and receives a fee for such services when earned. Management and service fees earned in 2013, 2012 and 2011 were $7.9 million, $3.8 million and $2.8 million, respectively.
	Other leasing activities
	The Company, as a lessee, leases real property, vehicles and other equipment under operating leases. Certain of these agreements contain lease renewal and purchase options. The Company also leases excess property to third parties. Net rental expense under these agreements was $8.4 million, $7.3 million and $6.3 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Future minimum lease payments (net of sublease income commitments) under agreements in effect at December 31, 2013 are as follows: 2014 -- $4.1 million; 2015 -- $3.4 million; 2016 -- $2.1 million; 2017 -- $1.3 million; 2018 -- $0.7 million; and $0.2 million thereafter.
	In addition to the above, the Company leases its Albion, Michigan and Clymers, Indiana grain elevators under operating leases to two of its ethanol investees. The Albion, Michigan grain elevator lease expires in 2056. The initial term of the Clymers, Indiana grain elevator lease ends in 2014 and provides for several renewals of 7.5 years each. Lease income for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 was $1.9 million, $1.9 million and $1.9 million, respectively.

Business_Acquisition

Business Acquisition	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Combinations [Abstract]	'
Business Acquisition	'
	Business Acquisitions
	The Company's acquisitions are accounted for as purchases in accordance with ASC Topic 805, Business Combinations. Tangible assets and liabilities and identifiable intangible assets were adjusted to fair values at the acquisition date with the remainder of the purchase price, if any, recorded as goodwill. Operating results of these acquisitions are included in the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements from the date of acquisition and are not significant to the Company's consolidated operating results.
	2013 Business Acquisitions
	The spending in 2013 on the acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired was $15.3 million.
	On December 9, 2013, the Turf and Specialty Group completed the purchase of substantially all of the assets of Cycle Group, Inc. for a purchase price of $4.2 million. The operation consists of a modern granulated products facility in Mocksville, North Carolina.
	The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Inventory	$	77
	Intangible assets	330
	Property, plant and equipment	3,825
	Total purchase price	$	4,232
	Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
		Value			Life
	Customer relationships	$	150		5 years
	Noncompete agreement	55			7 years
	Patents	125			5 years
	Total identifiable intangible assets	$	330		5 years *
	*weighted average number of years
	On August 5, 2013, the Company completed the purchase of substantially all of the assets of Mile Rail, LLC and a sister entity for a purchase price of $7.8 million. The operations consist of a railcar repair and cleaning facility headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, with 2 satellite locations in Nebraska and Indiana.
	The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Inventory	$	512
	Other assets	14
	Intangible assets	650
	Goodwill	4,167
	Property, plant and equipment	2,605
	Other liabilities	(144		)
	Total purchase price	$	7,804
	The goodwill recognized as a result of the Mile Rail acquisition is $4.2 million, which is fully deductible for tax purposes, and is included in the Rail segment. The goodwill relates to geography that is complimentary to the Rail Group's existing repair network and from its additional connections to several U.S. Class I railroads, from which we anticipate future growth and capacity to generate gross profit.
	Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
		Value			Life
	Customer relationships	$	400		5 years
	Noncompete agreement	250			5 years
	Total identifiable intangible assets	$	650		5 years *
	*weighted average number of years
	Prior Years Business Acquisitions
	On December 3, 2012, the Company completed the purchase of a majority of the grain and agronomy assets of Green Plains Grain Company ("GPG"), a subsidiary of Green Plains Renewable Energy, Inc. for a purchase price of $120.2 million, which includes a $3.3 million payable to the acquiree that was outstanding as of year end and paid in January 2013. The various facilities located in Iowa and Tennessee have a combined grain storage capacity of more than 32 million bushels and 12,000 tons of nutrient storage.
	During the first quarter of 2013, the purchase price allocation for Green Plains Grain Company, which was acquired in the fourth quarter of 2012 was finalized. The measurement period adjustments to the purchase price allocation are the result of additional information obtained since the filing of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. December 31, 2012 balances have been revised to include the effect of the adjustment as if the additional information had been available on the acquisition date. Due to these revision of estimates, goodwill increased $3 million, with the majority of the offset to intangible assets.
	The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Accounts receivable	$	19,174
	Inventory	121,983
	Property, plant and equipment	57,828
	Intangible assets	4,600
	Goodwill	33,175
	Commodity derivatives	4,701
	Other assets	1,775
	Accounts payable	(91,001		)
	Debt assumed	(29,632		)
	Other liabilities	(2,371		)
	Total purchase price	$	120,232
	The goodwill recognized as a result of the GPG acquisition is $33.2 million, for which the full amount is deductible for tax purposes, and is included in the Grain reportable segment. The goodwill relates to the value of a fully functional business consisting of a successful management team and an experienced and talented work force.
	Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
		Value			Life
	Supplier relationships	$	4,600		3 to 5 years
	Total identifiable intangible assets	$	4,600		4 years *
	*weighted average number of years
	The amounts of the GPG revenue and earnings included in the Consolidated Statements of Income for the year ended December 31, 2012, and the revenue and earnings of GPG had the acquisition date been January 1, 2011 are as follows:
	(unaudited, in thousands)	Revenue			Operating Income (Loss)
	Actual from 12/3/2012 to 12/31/2012	$	40,477		$	(785	)
Supplemental pro forma from 1/1/2012 - 12/31/2012	566,821			1,632
Combined entity pro forma from 1/1/2012 - 12/31/2012	5,798,354			122,550
Supplemental pro forma from 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011	585,572			1,430
Combined entity pro forma from 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011	5,161,903			149,308
On October 30, 2012, the Company completed the purchase of substantially all of the assets of Mt. Pulaski Products for a purchase price of $10.7 million. The operations consist of several corncob processing facilities in central Illinois.
The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
(in thousands)
Inventory	$	3,757
Intangible assets	1,000
Goodwill	1,985
Property, plant and equipment	3,941
Total purchase price	$	10,683
The goodwill recogized as a result of the Mt. Pulaski acquisition is $2.0 million, for which the full amount is deductible for tax purposes, and is included in the Turf & Specialty reportable segment. The goodwill relates to expected synergies from combining operations as well as an assembled workforce.
Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
	Value			Life
Trademark	$	300		Indefinite
Customer list	600			10 years
Noncompete agreement	100			7 years
Total identifiable intangible assets	$	1,000		10 years *
*weighted average number of years
On May 1, 2012, the Company and its subsidiary, The Andersons Denison Ethanol LLC ("TADE") completed the purchase of certain assets of an ethanol production facility in Denison, Iowa for a purchase price of $77.4 million. Previously owned by Amaizing Energy Denison LLC and Amaizing Energy Holding Company, LLC, the operations consist of a 55 million gallon capacity ethanol facility with an adjacent 2.7 million bushel grain terminal, with direct access to two Class 1 railroads in Iowa. TADE has been organized to provide investment opportunity for the Company and potential outside investors. The Company owns the grain terminal, manages TADE, and provides grain origination, risk management, and DDG and ethanol marketing services. The Company currently owns a controlling interest of 85% of TADE, and therefore includes TADE's results of operations in its consolidated financial statements. The fair value of the noncontrolling interest in TADE purchased by the minority investor at the acquisition date was $6.1 million.
The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
(in thousands)
Grain elevator	$	14,285
Inventory	10,087
Intangible assets	2,373
Other current assets	962
Property, plant and equipment	49,693
Total purchase price	$	77,400
Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
	Value			Life
Lease intangibles	$	2,123		10 months to 5 years
Noncompete agreement	250			2 years
Total identifiable intangible assets	$	2,373		3 years *
*weighted average number of years
On January 31, 2012, the Company purchased 100% of the stock of New Eezy Gro, Inc. (“NEG”) for a purchase price of $16.8 million. New Eezy Gro is a manufacturer and wholesale marketer of specialty agricultural nutrients and industrial products.
The summarized purchase price allocation is as follows:
(in thousands)
Current assets	$	5,106
Intangible assets	9,600
Goodwill	6,681
Property, plant and equipment	3,586
Current liabilities	(3,784		)
Deferred tax liability, net	(4,412		)
Total purchase price	$	16,777
The goodwill recognized as a result of the NEG acquisition is $6.7 million and is included in the Plant Nutrient reportable segment. The goodwill relates to the value of proprietary products and processes as well as an assembled workforce.
Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
	Value			Life
Trademarks	$	1,200		10 years
Customer list	5,500			10 years
Technology	2,100			5 years
Noncompete agreement	800			7 years
Total identifiable intangible assets	$	9,600		9 years *
*weighted average number of years
On October 31, 2011, the Company completed the purchase of Immokalee Farmers Supply, Inc., which serves the specialty vegetable producers in Southwest Florida, for a total purchase price of $3.0 million, which included a $0.6 million payable recorded in other long-term liabilities and is based on future performance of the acquired company.

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	'
	Goodwill and Intangible Assets
	The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 are as follows:
	(in thousands)		Grain			Plant Nutrient			Rail			Turf & Specialty		Total
	Balance as of January 1, 2011		$	4,207		$	5,248		$	—		$	686	$	10,141
	Acquisitions		—			1,690			—			—		1,690
	Other adjustments		783			(69		)	—			—		714
	Balance as of December 31, 2011		4,990			6,869			—			686		12,545
	Acquisitions (a)		33,175			6,681			—			1,986		41,842
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		38,165			13,550			—			2,672		54,387
	Acquisitions		—			—			4,167			—		4,167
	Balances of December 31, 2013		$	38,165		$	13,550		$	4,167		$	2,672	$	58,554
	(a) The Grain acquisition balance has been revised to include the effect of the adjustments to the purchase price allocation in 2013. Discussed in Note 12. Business Acquisitions
	Goodwill is tested annually for impairment as of December 31 or whenever events or circumstances change that would indicate that an impairment of goodwill may be present. There have been no goodwill impairment charges historically. In 2011, 2012, and 2013 the Company performed mainly qualitative goodwill impairment analyses. In performing this qualitative assessment of goodwill, management considered the following relevant events and circumstances:
	•	Macroeconomic conditions including, but not limited to deterioration in general economic conditions, limitation on accessing capital, or other developments in equity and credit markets;
	•	Industry and market considerations such as a deterioration in the environment in which an entity operates, an increased competitive environment, a change in the market for an entity's products or services, or a regulatory or political development;
	•	Cost factors such as increases in commodity prices, raw materials, labor, or other costs that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows;
	•	Overall financial performance such as negative or declining cash flows or a decline in actual or planned revenue or earnings compared with actual and projected results of relevant prior periods;
	•	Other relevant entity-specific events such as changes in management, key personnel, strategy, or customers and;
	•	Events affecting a reporting unit such as a change in the composition or carrying amount of its net assets, a more-likely-than-not expectation of selling or disposing all, or a portion, of a reporting unit, the testing for recoverability of a significant asset group within a reporting unit, or recognition of a goodwill impairment loss in the financial statements of a subsidiary that is a component of a reporting unit.
	There is a certain degree of uncertainty associated with the key assumptions used. Potential events or changes in circumstances that could reasonably be expected to negatively affect the key assumptions include significant volatility in commodity prices or raw material prices and unanticipated changes in the economy or industries within which the businesses operate. When considering all factors in totality, management believes it is more likely than not that the fair value of goodwill exceeds its carrying amount, and as such, no further analysis was required for purposes of testing goodwill for impairment.
	The Company's intangible assets are recorded in other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Group		Original Cost			Accumulated Amortization			Net Book Value
	December 31, 2013
	Amortized intangible assets
	Acquired customer list	Rail		$	3,862		$	3,421		$	441
	Acquired customer list	Plant Nutrient		9,596			3,054			6,542
	Acquired customer list	Grain		5,850			2,286			3,564
	Acquired customer list	Turf and Specialty		750			72			678
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Plant Nutrient		2,119			1,501			618
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Grain		175			116			59
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Turf and Specialty		155			17			138
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Rail		250			17			233
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Ethanol		250			209			41
	Acquired marketing agreement	Plant Nutrient		1,607			1,228			379
	Acquired supply agreement	Plant Nutrient		4,846			2,477			2,369
	Supply agreement	Grain		340			—			340
	Acquired grower agreement	Grain		300			300			—
	Patents and other	Various		1,154			411			743
	Trademarks and technology	Plant Nutrient		3,300			1,035			2,265
	Lease intangible	Ethanol		2,123			1,716			407
	Lease intangible	Rail		2,816			2,150			666
				$	39,493		$	20,010		$	19,483
	December 31, 2012
	Amortized intangible assets
	Acquired customer list	Rail		$	3,462		$	3,362		$	100
	Acquired customer list	Plant Nutrient		9,596			2,071			7,525
	Acquired customer list	Grain		8,450			717			7,733
	Acquired customer list	Turf and Specialty		600			10			590
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Plant Nutrient		2,119			1,219			900
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Grain		175			81			94
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Turf and Specialty		100			2			98
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Ethanol		250			84			166
	Acquired marketing agreement	Plant Nutrient		1,607			1,029			578
	Acquired supply agreement	Plant Nutrient		4,846			1,959			2,887
	Supply agreement	Grain		340			—			340
	Acquired grower agreement	Grain		300			275			25
	Patents and other	Various		1,181			486			695
	Trademarks and technology	Plant Nutrient		3,300			495			2,805
	Lease intangible	Ethanol		2,123			1,230			893
	Lease intangible	Rail		2,410			1,778			632
				$	40,859		$	14,798		$	26,061
	Amortization expense for intangible assets was $5.3 million, $4.8 million and $2.8 million for 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Expected future annual amortization expense is as follows: 2014 -- $4.7 million; 2015 -- $3.8 million; 2016 -- $3.1 million; 2017 -- $2.5 million; and 2018 -- $1.9 million.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	Income tax provision applicable to continuing operations consists of the following:
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	Current:
	Federal	$	11,812			$	23,816			$	39,015
	State and local	225				3,492				5,603
	Foreign	1,400				757				962
		$	13,437			$	28,065			$	45,580
	Deferred:
	Federal	$	35,147			$	14,808			$	5,281
	State and local	4,321				1,982				553
	Foreign	906				(287		)		(361		)
		$	40,374			$	16,503			$	5,473
	Total:
	Federal	$	46,959			$	38,624			$	44,296
	State and local	4,546				5,474				6,156
	Foreign	2,306				470				601
		$	53,811			$	44,568			$	51,053
	Income before income taxes from continuing operations consists of the following:
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	U.S. income	$	141,673			$	119,325			$	146,420
	Foreign	7,840				808				1,458
		$	149,513			$	120,133			$	147,878
	A reconciliation from the statutory U.S. federal tax rate to the effective tax rate follows:
		Year ended December 31,
		2013			2012			2011
	Statutory U.S. federal tax rate	35	%		35	%		35	%
	Increase (decrease) in rate resulting from:
	Effect of qualified domestic production deduction	(0.4	)		(0.8	)		(1.6	)
	Effect of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act	0.9			(0.6	)		—
	Effect of noncontrolling interest	(1.3	)		1.1			(0.4	)
	State and local income taxes, net of related federal taxes	2			3			2.7
	Other, net	(0.2	)		(0.6	)		(1.2	)
	Effective tax rate	36	%		37.1	%		34.5	%
	Income taxes paid, net of refunds received, in 2013, 2012 and 2011 were $5.3 million, $36.3 million and $48.9 million, respectively.
	Significant components of the Company's deferred tax liabilities and assets are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Property, plant and equipment and railcar assets leased to others	$	(110,472	)		$	(85,556	)
	Prepaid employee benefits	(17,725		)		(16,490		)
	Investments	(29,749		)		(23,180		)
	Other	(5,426		)		(6,402		)
		(163,372		)		(131,628		)
	Deferred tax assets:
	Employee benefits	36,593				45,400
	Accounts and notes receivable	1,890				1,920
	Inventory	6,605				4,800
	Deferred expenses	689				11,540
	Net operating loss carryforwards	631				654
	Other	1,905				5,038
	Total deferred tax assets	48,313				69,352
	Valuation allowance	(92		)		—
		48,221				69,352
	Net deferred tax liabilities	$	(115,151	)		$	(62,276	)
	On December 31, 2013 the Company had $12.4 million in state net operating loss carryforwards that expire from 2017 to 2023. A deferred tax asset of $0.5 million has been recorded with respect to state net operating loss carryforwards. A valuation allowance of $0.1 million was established in the current year against the deferred tax asset because it has been determined that the Company is unlikely to realize all the benefit of these carryforwards. On December 31, 2012, the Company had recorded a $0.6 million deferred tax asset and no valuation allowance with respect to state net operating loss carryforwards.
	On December 31, 2013, the Company had $0.4 million in cumulative Canadian net operating losses that expire after 2030. A deferred tax asset of $0.1 million has been recorded with respect to Canadian net operating loss carryforwards. No valuation allowance has been established because based on all available evidence, the Company concluded it is more likely than not that it will realize the deferred tax asset. On December 31, 2012 the Company had recorded a deferred tax asset, and no valuation allowance, of $0.1 million with respect to Canadian net operating loss carryforwards.
	On December 31, 2013, the Company had recorded a $0.5 million deferred tax asset related to U.S. foreign tax credit carryforwards that expire after 2022. No valuation allowance has been established because based on all available evidence, the Company concluded it is more likely than not that it will realize the deferred tax asset. On December 31, 2012, the Company had $2.9 million in U.S. foreign credit carryforwards that expire from 2020 through 2023 and no valuation allowance with respect to the foreign credit carryforwards.
	The Company's 2013 income tax provision includes deferred tax expense of $1.4 million due to a correction of other comprehensive income related to the portion of the Company's retiree health care plan liability and the Medicare Part D subsidy. The correction related to the years 2009 through 2012 and was recorded during the first quarter of 2013. The impact of this error on amounts previously reported was determined to be immaterial to the Consolidated Financial Statements. As a result of the correction of the error, deferred income tax expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2013 increased and accumulated other comprehensive loss decreased by $1.4 million.
	During the third quarter of 2013, the Company believed its share of foreign joint venture earnings would be considered indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S.  However, after ongoing analysis of additional information related to the third quarter joint venture acquisition together with the impact of expiring tax legislation, the Company is now providing for taxes on foreign earnings, as the earnings are expected to be included in U.S. taxable income.  The effect of this change was not material to the third quarter or full year 2013.
	The Company accounts for utilization of windfall tax benefits based on tax law ordering and considered only the direct effects of stock-based compensation for purposes of measuring the windfall at settlement of an award. During 2013, there was no cash resulting from the exercise of awards and the tax benefit the Company realized from the exercise of awards was $1.3 million. For 2012, there was no cash resulting from the exercise of awards and the tax benefit the Company realized from the exercise of awards was $0.4 million.
The Company or one of its subsidiaries files income tax returns in the U.S., various foreign jurisdictions and various state and local jurisdictions. The Company is no longer subject to examinations by U.S. tax authorities for years before 2010 and is no longer subject to examinations by foreign jurisdictions for years before 2008. The Company is no longer subject to examination by state tax authorities in most states for tax years before 2010.
A reconciliation of the January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013 amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:
(in thousands)
Balance at January 1, 2011	$	614
Additions based on tax positions related to prior years	43
Reductions as a result of a lapse in statute of limitations	(22		)
Balance at December 31, 2011	635
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	97
Additions based on tax positions related to prior years	415
Reductions as a result of a lapse in statute of limitations	(101		)
Balance at December 31, 2012	1,046
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	114
Reductions based on tax positions related to prior years	(45		)
Reductions as a result of a lapse in statute of limitations	(5		)
Balance at December 31, 2013	$	1,110
The unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2013 are associated with positions taken on state income tax returns, and would decrease the Company's effective tax rate if recognized. The Company does not anticipate any significant changes during 2014 in the amount of unrecognized tax benefits.
The Company has elected to classify interest and penalties as interest expense and penalty expense, respectively, rather than as income tax expense. The Company has $0.2 million accrued for the payment of interest and penalties at December 31, 2013. The net interest and penalties expense for 2013 is $0.1 million, due to increased uncertain tax positions. The Company had $0.1 million accrued for the payment of interest and penalties at December 31, 2012. The net interest and penalties expense for 2012 was $0.1 million benefit.

Stock_Compensation_Plans

Stock Compensation Plans	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Stock Compensation Plans	'
	Stock Compensation Plans
	The Company's 2005 Long-Term Performance Compensation Plan, dated May 6, 2005 (the “LT Plan”), authorizes the Board of Directors to grant options, stock appreciation rights, performance shares and share awards to employees and outside directors for up to 600,000 of the Company's common shares plus 639,000 common shares that remained available under a prior plan. In 2008, shareholders approved an additional 750,000 of the Company's common shares to be available under the LT Plan. As of December 31, 2013, approximately 637,500 shares remain available for grant under the LT Plan. Options granted have a maximum term of 10 years.
	Stock-based compensation expense for all stock-based compensation awards are based on the grant-date fair value. The Company recognizes these compensation costs on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award. Total compensation expense recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Income for all stock compensation programs was $4.3 million, $4.0 million and $4.1 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
	Stock Only Stock Appreciation Rights (“SOSARs”) and Stock Options
	Beginning in 2006, the Company discontinued granting options to directors and management and instead began granting SOSARs. SOSARs granted to directors and management personnel under the LT Plan beginning in 2008 have a term of five years and have three year graded vesting. The SOSARs granted in 2006 and 2007 have a term of five years and vest after three years. SOSARs granted under the LT Plan are structured as fixed grants with the exercise price equal to the market value of the underlying stock on the date of the grant. The related compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the service period.
	Beginning in 2011, the Company replaced the SOSAR equity awards with full value Restricted Stock Awards (“RSAs”). No SOSAR equity awards have been granted since 2010.
	A reconciliation of the number of SOSARs outstanding and exercisable under the Long-Term Performance Compensation Plan as of December 31, 2013, and changes during the period then ended is as follows:
		Shares			Weighted- Average Exercise				Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
		(000's)			Price						(000's)
	Options & SOSARs outstanding at January 1, 2013	473			$	19.1
	Options exercised	(300	)		20.9
	Options & SOSARs cancelled / forfeited	—			—
	Options and SOSARs outstanding at December 31, 2013	173			$	15.99			0.76		$	7,510
	Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2013	173			$	15.99			0.76		$	7,510
	Options exercisable at December 31, 2013	173			$	15.99			0.76		$	7,510
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$	4,678			$	1,937			$	3,817
	Total fair value of shares vested	$	576			$	818			$	816
	Weighted average fair value of options granted	$	—			$	—			$	—
	As of December 31, 2013, there was no unrecognized compensation cost related to stock options and SOSARs granted under the LT Plan.
	Restricted Stock Awards
	The LT Plan permits awards of restricted stock. These shares carry voting and dividend rights; however, sale of the shares is restricted prior to vesting. Restricted shares granted prior to 2013 vest over a period of 3 years. Restricted shares granted in 2013 vest over a period of 2.25 years. Total restricted stock expense is equal to the market value of the Company's common shares on the date of the award and is recognized over the service period. In 2013, there were 60,168 shares issued to members of management and directors.
	A summary of the status of the Company's nonvested restricted shares as of December 31, 2013, and changes during the period then ended, is presented below:
		Shares (000)'s			Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value
	Nonvested restricted shares at January 1, 2013	180			$	28.82
	Granted	60			47.65
	Vested	(50	)		25.27
	Forfeited	(2	)		29.93
	Nonvested restricted shares at December 31, 2013	188			$	35.74
		Year ended December 31,
		2013		2012		2011
	Total fair value of shares vested (000's)	$1,121		$590		$1,367
	Weighted average fair value of restricted shares granted	$47.65		$28.99		$31.87
	As of December 31, 2013, there was $3.2 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested restricted shares granted under the LT Plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over the next 2.0 years.
	Performance Share Units (“PSUs”)
	The LT Plan also allows for the award of PSUs. Each PSU gives the participant the right to receive common shares dependent on the achievement of specified performance results over a specified performance period. For PSUs granted prior to 2013, the performance period is 3 years. For PSUs granted in 2013, the performance period is 2.25 years. At the end of the performance period, the number of shares of stock issued will be determined by adjusting the award upward or downward from a target award. Fair value of PSUs issued is based on the market value of the Company's common shares on the date of the award. The related compensation expense is recognized over the performance period when achievement of the award is probable and is adjusted for changes in the number of shares expected to be issued if changes in performance are expected. In 2013, there were 103,272 PSUs issued to members of management. Currently, the Company is accounting for the awards granted in 2011, 2012 and 2013 at 100%, 40%, and 50%, respectively, of the maximum amount available for issuance.
	PSUs Activity
	A summary of the status of the Company's PSUs as of December 31, 2013, and changes during the period then ended, is presented below:
		Shares (000)'s			Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value
	Nonvested at January 1, 2013	306			$	28.81
	Granted	104			47.32
	Vested	(54	)		22.09
	Forfeited	(6	)		32.56
	Nonvested at December 31, 2013	350			$	35.27
		Year ended December 31,
		2013		2012		2011
	Weighted average fair value of PSUs granted	$47.32		$28.99		$31.87
	As of December 31, 2013, there was $2.6 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested PSUs granted under the LT Plan. That cost is expected to be recognized over the next 2.0 years.
	Employee Share Purchase Plan (the “ESP Plan”)
	The Company's 2004 ESP Plan allows employees to purchase common shares through payroll withholdings. The Company has approximately 285,000 common shares remaining available for issuance to and purchase by employees under this plan. The ESP Plan also contains an option component. The purchase price per share under the ESP Plan is the lower of the market price at the beginning or end of the year. The Company records a liability for withholdings not yet applied towards the purchase of common stock.
	The fair value of the option component of the ESP Plan is estimated at the date of grant under the Black-Scholes option pricing model with the following assumptions for the appropriate year. Expected volatility was estimated based on the historical volatility of the Company's common shares over the past year. The average expected life was based on the contractual term of the plan. The risk-free rate is based on the U.S. Treasury issues with a one year term. Forfeitures are estimated at the date of grant based on historical experience.
		2013			2012			2011
	Risk free interest rate	0.16	%		0.11	%		0.27	%
	Dividend yield	1.49	%		1.37	%		1.21	%
	Volatility factor of the expected market price of the common shares	0.27			0.41			0.34
	Expected life for the options (in years)	1			1			1

Quarterly_Consolidated_Financi

Quarterly Consolidated Financial Information (Unaudited)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]	'
Quarterly Consolidated Financial Information (Unaudited)	'
	Quarterly Consolidated Financial Information (Unaudited)
	The following is a summary of the unaudited quarterly results of operations for 2013 and 2012:
	(in thousands, except for per common share data)
	Quarter Ended	Sales and merchandising revenues		Gross profit		Net income attributable to		Earnings per share-basic		Earnings per share-diluted
						The Andersons, Inc.
	2013
	31-Mar	$	1,271,970	$	79,273	$	12,578	$	0.45	$	0.45
	30-Jun	1,566,964		103,229		29,539		1.05		1.05
	30-Sep	1,181,374		73,146		17,161		0.61		0.61
	31-Dec	1,584,266		109,577		30,661		1.09		1.08
	Year	$	5,604,574	$	365,225	$	89,939	3.2		3.18
	2012
	31-Mar	$	1,137,133	$	85,870	$	18,407	$	0.66	$	0.65
	30-Jun	1,315,834		102,650		29,199		1.05		1.04
	30-Sep	1,138,402		78,316		16,884		0.61		0.6
	31-Dec	1,680,641		91,169		14,990		0.54		0.53
	Year	$	5,272,010	$	358,005	$	79,480	2.85		2.82
	Net income per share is computed independently for each of the quarters presented. As such, the summation of the quarterly amounts may not equal the total net income per share reported for the year.

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Notes)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Equity [Abstract]	'
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	'
	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
	In accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Update No. 2013-02, Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, information about reclassification adjustments from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income in the current periods are presented below.
	Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss by Component (a)
		(in thousands)		For the Year Ended December 31, 2013
				Losses on Cash Flow Hedges				Investment in Debt Securities		Defined Benefit Plan Items			Total
	Beginning Balance			$	(902	)		$	2,569	$	(47,046	)	$	(45,379	)
		Other comprehensive income before reclassifications		265				5,292		18,980			24,537
		Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income		—				—		(339		)	(339		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income			265				5,292		18,641			24,198
	Ending balance			$	(637	)		$	7,861	$	(28,405	)	$	(21,181	)
	(a) All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits
	Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (a)
	(in thousands)		For the Year Ended December 31, 2013
	Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Components		Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income				Affected Line Item in the Statement Where Net Income Is Presented
	Defined Benefit Plan Items
	Amortization of prior-service cost		$	(543	)		(b)
			(543		)		Total before tax
			204				Tax expense
			$	(339	)		Net of tax
	Total reclassifications for the period		$	(339	)		Net of tax
	(a) Amounts in parentheses indicate debits to profit/loss
	(b) This accumulated other comprehensive income component is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost (see Note 6. Employee Benefit Plans footnote for additional details)

Subsequent_Events

Subsequent Events	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Subsequent Events [Abstract]	'
Subsequent Events	'
	Subsequent Events
	On December 19, 2013, the Company's board of directors approved a three-for-two stock split effected in the form of a stock dividend. The split was effective February 18, 2014 and all share, dividend and per share information within this document has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split.
	On January 22, 2014, the Company announced that it entered into an agreement with LTG for a partial redemption of the Company's investment in LTG for $60 million. The redemption reduced the Company's interest in LTG from approximately 47.5 percent to approximately 39.2 percent on a fully diluted basis. The redemption occurred in the first quarter of 2014. The Company recorded a book gain, net of deal costs, on the shares repurchased of approximately $17 million ($11 million after tax) in the first quarter of 2014.

Schedule_II_Consolidated_Valua

Schedule II - Consolidated Valuation and Qualifying Accounts - K	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]	'
Schedule II	'
	SCHEDULE II - CONSOLIDATED VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
	(in thousands)			Additions
	Description	Balance at beginning of period		Charged to costs and expenses		Transferred from (to) allowance for accounts / notes receivable		-1			Balance at end of period
								Deductions
	Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable - Year ended December 31,
	2013	$	4,883	$	1,187	$	—	$	(1,077	)	$	4,993
	2012	4,799		1,129		46		(1,091		)	4,883
	2011	5,684		187		46		(1,118		)	4,799
	(1) Uncollectible accounts written off, net of recoveries and adjustments to estimates for the allowance accounts.

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Basis of Consolidation	'
	Basis of Consolidation
	These Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of The Andersons, Inc. and its wholly owned and controlled subsidiaries (the “Company”). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. Investments in unconsolidated entities in which the Company has significant influence, but not control, are accounted for using the equity method of accounting.
	In the opinion of management, all adjustments consisting of normal recurring items, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results of operations for the periods indicated, have been made.
Use of Estimates and Assumptions	'
	Use of Estimates and Assumptions
	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 amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	'
	Cash and Cash Equivalents
	Cash and cash equivalents include cash and short-term investments with an initial maturity of three months or less. The carrying values of these assets approximate their fair values.
Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	'
	Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts
	Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and may bear interest if past due. The allowance for doubtful accounts is the best estimate of the amount of probable credit losses in existing accounts receivable. The allowance for doubtful accounts is reviewed quarterly. The allowance is based both on specific identification of potentially uncollectible accounts and the application of a consistent policy to estimate the allowance necessary for the remaining accounts receivable. For those customers that are thought to be at higher risk, the Company makes assumptions as to collectability based on past history and facts about the current situation. Account balances are charged off against the allowance when it becomes more certain that the receivable will not be recovered. The Company manages its exposure to counter-party credit risk through credit analysis and approvals, credit limits and monitoring procedures.
Commodity Derivatives and Inventories	'
	Commodity Derivatives and Inventories
	The Company's operating results can be affected by changes to commodity prices. The Grain and Ethanol businesses have established “unhedged” position limits (the amount of a commodity, either owned or contracted for, that does not have an offsetting derivative contract to mitigate the price risk associated with those contracts and inventory). To reduce the exposure to market price risk on commodities owned and forward grain and ethanol purchase and sale contracts, the Company enters into exchange traded commodity futures and options contracts and over-the-counter forward and option contracts with various counterparties. The exchange traded contracts are primarily via the regulated Chicago Mercantile Exchange (the “CME”). The forward purchase and sale contracts are for physical delivery of the commodity in a future period. Contracts to purchase commodities from producers generally relate to the current or future crop years for delivery periods quoted by regulated commodity exchanges. Contracts for the sale of commodities to processors or other commercial consumers generally do not extend beyond one year.
	The Company accounts for its commodity derivatives at fair value. The estimated fair value of the commodity derivative contracts that require the receipt or posting of cash collateral is recorded on a net basis (offset against cash collateral posted or received, also known as margin deposits) within commodity derivative assets or liabilities. Management determines fair value based on exchange-quoted prices and in the case of its forward purchase and sale contracts, estimated fair value is adjusted for differences in local markets and non-performance risk. While the Company considers its commodity contracts to be effective economic hedges, the Company does not designate or account for its commodity contracts as hedges. Realized and unrealized gains and losses in the value of commodity contracts (whether due to changes in commodity prices, changes in performance or credit risk, or due to sale, maturity or extinguishment of the commodity contract) and grain inventories are included in sales and merchandising revenues in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Additional information about the fair value of the Company's commodity derivatives is presented in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
	Grain inventories are stated at their net realizable value, which approximates fair value less disposal costs.
	All other inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. Cost is determined by the average cost method. Additional information about inventories is presented in Note 2 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Derivatives - Master Netting Arrangements	'
	Derivatives - Master Netting Arrangements
	Generally accepted accounting principles permit a party to a master netting arrangement to offset fair value amounts recognized for derivative instruments against the right to reclaim cash collateral or obligation to return cash collateral under the same master netting arrangement. The Company has master netting arrangements for its exchange traded futures and options contracts and certain over-the-counter contracts. When the Company enters into a futures, options or an over-the-counter contract, an initial margin deposit may be required by the counterparty. The amount of the margin deposit varies by commodity. If the market price of a future, option or an over-the-counter contract moves in a direction that is adverse to the Company's position, an additional margin deposit, called a maintenance margin, is required. The Company nets, by counterparty, its futures and over-the-counter positions against the cash collateral provided or received. The margin deposit assets and liabilities are included in short-term commodity derivative assets or liabilities, as appropriate, in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Additional information about the Company's master netting arrangements is presented in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Derivatives - Interest Rate and Foreign Currency Contracts	'
	Derivatives - Interest Rate and Foreign Currency Contracts
	The Company periodically enters into interest rate contracts to manage interest rate risk on borrowing or financing activities. The Company's long-term interest rate swaps are recorded in other long-term liabilities and have been designated as cash flow hedges; accordingly, changes in the fair value of these instruments are recognized in other comprehensive income. The Company has other interest rate contracts recorded in other assets that are not designated as hedges. While the Company considers all of its derivative positions to be effective economic hedges of specified risks, these interest rate contracts for which hedge accounting is not applied are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets in either other current assets or liabilities (if short-term in nature) or in other assets or other long-term liabilities (if non-current in nature), and changes in fair value are recognized in income as interest expense. Upon termination of a derivative instrument or a change in the hedged item, any remaining fair value recorded on the balance sheet is recorded as interest expense consistent with the cash flows associated with the underlying hedged item. Information regarding the nature and terms of the Company's interest rate derivatives is presented in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Marketing Agreement	'
	Marketing Agreement
	The Company has a marketing agreement that covers certain of its grain facilities, some of which are leased from Cargill, Incorporated (“Cargill”). Under the five-year amended and restated agreement (renewed in December 2013), the Company sells grain from these facilities to Cargill at market prices. Income earned from operating the facilities (including buying, storing and selling grain and providing grain marketing services to its producer customers) over a specified threshold is shared equally with Cargill. Measurement of this threshold is made on a cumulative basis and cash is paid to Cargill on an annual basis. The Company recognizes its pro rata share of income every month and accrues for any payment owed to Cargill. The payable balance was $2.2 million and $33.9 million included in customer prepayments and deferred revenue as of December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively.
Railcars	'
	Railcars
	The Company's Rail Group purchases, leases, markets and manages railcars for third parties and for internal use. Railcars to which the Company holds title are shown on the balance sheet in one of two categories - other current assets (for railcars that are available for sale) or railcar assets leased to others. Railcars leased to others, both on short and long-term leases, are classified as long-term assets and are depreciated over their estimated useful lives.
	Railcars have statutory lives of either 40 or 50 years, measured from the date built. At the time of purchase, the remaining statutory life is used in determining useful lives which are depreciated on a straight-line basis. Additional information regarding railcar assets leased to others is presented in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
	Property, Plant and Equipment
	Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost. Repairs and maintenance costs are charged to expense as incurred, while betterments that extend useful lives are capitalized. Depreciation is provided over the estimated useful lives of the individual assets, principally by the straight-line method. Estimated useful lives are generally as follows: land improvements - 16 years; leasehold improvements - the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the improvement, ranging from 3 to 20 years; buildings and storage facilities - 20 to 30 years; machinery and equipment - 3 to 20 years; and software - 3 to 10 years. The cost of assets retired or otherwise disposed of and the accumulated depreciation thereon are removed from the accounts, with any gain or loss realized upon sale or disposal credited or charged to operations. In addition, we capitalize the salaries and payroll-related costs of employees and consultants who devote time to the development of internal-use software projects. If a project constitutes an enhancement to previously-developed software, we assess whether the enhancement is significant and creates additional functionality to the software, thus qualifying the work incurred for capitalization. The amounts charged to expense for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 for amortization of capitalized computer software costs were approximately $1.1 million, $1.0 million, and $1.0 million, respectively. Unamortized computer software costs in the Consolidated Balance Sheets was $42.8 million and $24.6 million as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. Once the project is complete, we estimate the useful life of the internal-use software, and we periodically assess whether the software is impaired. Changes in our estimates related to internal-use software would increase or decrease operating expenses or amortization recorded during the period. The Company capitalized interest on major projects in progress in the amount of $0.6 million and $0.4 million in 2013 and 2012, respectively. Additional information regarding the Company's property, plant and equipment is presented in Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Deferred Debt Issue Costs	'
	Deferred Debt Issue Costs
	Costs associated with the issuance of debt are capitalized. These costs are amortized using an interest-method equivalent over the earlier of the stated term of the debt or the period from the issue date through the first early payoff date without penalty, or the expected payoff date if the loan does not contain a prepayment penalty. Capitalized costs associated with the borrowing arrangement with a syndication of banks are amortized over the term of the agreement.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	'
	Goodwill and Intangible Assets
	Intangible assets are recorded at cost, less accumulated amortization. Amortization of intangible assets is provided over their estimated useful lives (generally 5 to 10 years) on the straight-line method. Goodwill is not amortized but is subject to annual impairment tests or more often when events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of goodwill may be impaired. A goodwill impairment loss is recognized to the extent the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of goodwill. Additional information about the Company's goodwill and intangible assets is presented in Note 13 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Impairment of Long-lived Assets	'
	Impairment of Long-lived Assets
	Long-lived assets, including intangible assets, are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the assets to the undiscounted future net cash flows the Company expects to generate with the assets. If such assets are considered to be impaired, the Company recognizes impairment expense for the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets.
Accounts Payable for Grain	'
	Accounts Payable for Grain
	Accounts payable for grain includes certain amounts related to grain purchases for which, even though the Company has taken ownership and possession of the grain, the final purchase price has not been established (delayed price contracts). Amounts recorded for such delayed price contracts are determined on the basis of grain market prices at the balance sheet date in a similar manner for which grain inventory is valued and amounted to $83.2 million and $113.1 million as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
Stock-Based Compensation	'
	Stock-Based Compensation
	Stock-based compensation expense for all stock-based compensation awards is based on the estimated grant-date fair value. The Company recognizes these compensation costs on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the award, adjusted for revisions to performance expectations. Additional information about the Company's stock compensation plans is presented in Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Deferred Compensation Liability	'
	Deferred Compensation Liability
	Included in accrued expenses are $10.1 million and $7.8 million at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, of deferred compensation for certain employees who, due to Internal Revenue Service guidelines, may not take full advantage of the Company's qualified defined contribution plan. Assets funding this plan are recorded at fair value in other current assets and are equal to the value of this liability. This plan has no impact on results of operations as the changes in the fair value of the assets are offset on a one-for-one basis, by the change in the recorded amount of the deferred compensation liability.
Revenue Recognition	'
	Revenue Recognition
	The Company follows a policy of recognizing sales revenue at the time of delivery of the product and when all of the following have occurred: a sales agreement is in place, pricing is fixed or determinable, and collection is reasonably assured.
	Sales of grain and ethanol are primarily recognized at the time of shipment, which is when title and risk of loss transfers to the customer. There are certain transactions that allow for pricing to occur after title of the goods has passed to the customer. In these cases, the Company continues to report the goods in inventory until it recognizes the sales revenue once the price has been determined. Direct ship grain sales (where the Company never takes physical possession of the grain) are recognized when the grain arrives at the customer's facility. Revenues from other grain and ethanol merchandising activities are recognized as services are provided; gains and losses on the market value of grain inventory as well as commodity derivatives are recognized in revenue on a daily basis when these positions are marked-to-market. Sales of other products are recognized at the time title and risk of loss transfers to the customer, which is generally at the time of shipment or, in the case of the retail store sales, when the customer takes possession of the goods. Revenues for all other services are recognized as the service is provided.
	Certain of the Company's operations provide for customer billings, deposits or prepayments for product that is stored at the Company's facilities. The sales and gross profit related to these transactions are not recognized until the product is shipped in accordance with the previously stated revenue recognition policy and these amounts are classified as a current liability titled “Customer prepayments and deferred revenue.”
	Rental revenues on operating leases are recognized on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease. Sales to financial intermediaries of owned railcars which are subject to an operating lease (with the Company being the lessor in such operating leases prior to the sale, referred to as a “non-recourse transaction”) are recognized as revenue on the date of sale if the Company does not maintain substantial risk of ownership in the sold railcars. Revenue related to railcar servicing and maintenance contracts is recognized over the term of the lease or service contract.
	Sales returns and allowances are provided for at the time sales are recorded. Shipping and handling charges are included in cost of sales. Sales taxes and motor fuel taxes on ethanol sales are presented on a net basis and are excluded from revenues.
Rail Lease Accounting	'
	Rail Lease Accounting
	In addition to the sale of railcars that the Company makes to financial intermediaries on a non-recourse basis and records as revenue as discussed above, the Company also acts as the lessor and / or the lessee in various leasing arrangements as described below.
	The Company's Rail Group leases railcars and locomotives to customers, manages railcars for third parties and leases railcars for internal use. The Company acts as the lessor in various operating leases of railcars that are owned by the Company, or leased by the Company from financial intermediaries and, in turn, leased by the Company to end-users of the railcars. The leases from financial intermediaries are generally structured as sale-leaseback transactions, with the leaseback by the Company being treated as an operating lease.
	Certain of the Company's leases include monthly lease fees that are contingent upon some measure of usage (“per diem” leases). This monthly usage is tracked, billed and collected by third party service providers and funds are generally remitted to the Company along with usage data three months after they are earned. Typically, the lease term related to per-diem leases is one year or less. The Company records lease revenue for these per diem arrangements based on recent historical usage patterns and records a true-up adjustment when the actual data is received. Such true-up adjustments were not significant for any period presented.
	The Company expenses operating lease payments on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Additional information about railcar leasing activities is presented in Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	Income tax expense for each period includes current tax expense plus deferred expense, which is related to the change in deferred income tax assets and liabilities. Deferred income taxes are provided for temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of assets and liabilities and are measured using enacted tax rates and laws governing periods in which the differences are expected to reverse. The Company evaluates the realizability of deferred tax assets and provides a valuation allowance for amounts that management does not believe are more likely than not to be recoverable, as applicable.
	The annual effective tax rate is determined by income tax expense from continuing operations, described above, as a percentage of pretax book income. Differences in the effective tax rate and the statutory tax rate may be due to permanent items, tax credits, foreign tax rates and state tax rates in jurisdictions in which the Company operates, or changes in valuation allowances.
	The Company records reserves for uncertain tax positions when, despite the belief that tax return positions are fully supportable, it is anticipated that certain tax return positions are likely to be challenged and that the Company may not prevail. These reserves are adjusted in light of changing facts and circumstances, such as the progress of a tax audit or the lapse of statutes of limitations.
	Additional information about the Company's income taxes is presented in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Employee Benefit Plans	'
	Employee Benefit Plans
	The Company provides all full-time, non-retail employees hired before July 1, 2010 with pension benefits and full-time employees hired before January 1, 2003 with postretirement health care benefits. In order to measure the expense and funded status of these employee benefit plans, management makes several estimates and assumptions, including rates of return on assets set aside to fund these plans, rates of compensation increases, employee turnover rates, anticipated mortality rates and anticipated future healthcare cost trends. These estimates and assumptions are based on the Company's historical experience combined with management's knowledge and understanding of current facts and circumstances. The selection of the discount rate is based on an index given projected plan payouts. Additional information about the Company's employee benefit plans is presented in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Research and Development	'
	Research and Development
	Research and development costs are expensed as incurred. The Company's research and development program is mainly involved with the development of improved products and processes, primarily for the Turf & Specialty segment.
Advertising	'
	Advertising
	Advertising costs are expensed as incurred. Advertising expense of $3.9 million, $4.4 million and $4.0 million in 2013, 2012, and 2011, respectively, is included in operating, administrative and general expenses.
New Accounting Standards	'
	New Accounting Standards
	On February 5, 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards No. 2013-02, Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. The standard requires that the Company present information about reclassification adjustments from accumulated other comprehensive income in the interim and annual financial statements in a single note or on the face of the financial statements. Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements and additional disclosures are presented in Note 17.
	In December 2011, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-11, Disclosures about Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (Topic 210). The new disclosure requirements mandate that entities disclose both gross and net information about instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the statement of financial position as well as instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. In addition, the standard requires disclosure of collateral received and posted in connection with master netting agreements or similar arrangements. The amendments were effective for annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and interim periods within those annual periods. The disclosures required by the amendments were required to be applied retrospectively for all comparative periods presented. The adoption of this amended guidance required expanded disclosure in the notes to the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements but did not impact financial results. See additional disclosures in Note 4.
	In July 2012, the FASB issued Accounting Standards No. 2012-02, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment. The revised standard allows an entity the option to first assess qualitatively whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50 percent) that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, thus necessitating that it perform the quantitative impairment test. An entity is not required to calculate the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test unless the entity determines that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired. An entity can choose to perform the qualitative assessment on none, some, or all of its indefinite-lived intangible assets. Moreover, an entity can bypass the qualitative assessment and perform the quantitative impairment test for any indefinite-lived intangible in any period. The amendments were effective for annual and interim impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after September 15, 2012. Adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements or disclosures.
Equity	'
	Equity
	On February 18, 2014, the Company effected a three-for-two stock split in the form of a stock dividend to shareholders of record as of January 21, 2014. All share, dividend and per share information set forth in this 10-K has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split.

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Inventory, Net [Abstract]	'
Classes of inventories	'
	Major classes of inventories are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013		2012
	Grain	$	432,893	$	598,729
	Ethanol and by-products	14,453		22,927
	Agricultural fertilizer and supplies	100,593		88,429
	Lawn fertilizer and corncob products	39,960		37,292
	Retail merchandise	22,505		25,368
	Railcar repair parts	4,312		3,764
	Other	207		168
		$	614,923	$	776,677

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_T

Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Components of property, plant and equipment	'
	The components of property, plant and equipment are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013		2012
	Land	$	21,801	$	22,258
	Land improvements and leasehold improvements	67,153		63,013
	Buildings and storage facilities	231,976		214,919
	Machinery and equipment	308,215		287,896
	Software	13,351		12,901
	Construction in progress	48,135		34,965
		690,631		635,952
	Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	303,173		277,074
		$	387,458	$	358,878
Components of Railcar assets leased to others	'
	The components of Railcar assets leased to others are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013		2012
	Railcar assets leased to others	$	317,750	$	310,614
	Less: accumulated depreciation	77,129		82,284
		$	240,621	$	228,330

Derivatives_Tables

Derivatives (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Estimated fair value of Company's commodity derivative instruments for cash collateral and associated cash as collateral	'
	The net asset or liability positions of these derivatives (net of their cash collateral) are determined on a counterparty-by-counterparty basis and are included within short-term commodity derivative assets (or liabilities) on the Consolidated Balance Sheets:
		December 31, 2013							December 31, 2012
	(in thousands)	Net				Net			Net			Net
		derivative				derivative			derivative			derivative
		asset				liability			asset			liability
		position				position			position			position
	Collateral paid (received)	$	15,480			$	—		$	(13,772	)	$	—
	Fair value of derivatives	31,055				—			61,247			—
	Balance at end of period	$	46,535			$	—		$	47,475		$	—
Fair value of the Company's commodity derivatives in the balance sheet	'
	The following table presents, on a gross basis, current and noncurrent commodity derivative assets and liabilities:
		31-Dec-13
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	69,289			$	246		$	1,286		$	49		$	70,870
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(13,450		)		—			(65,240		)	(6,693		)	(85,383		)
	Cash collateral	15,480				—			—			—			15,480
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	71,319			$	246		$	(63,954	)	$	(6,644	)	$	967
		31-Dec-12
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	137,119			$	2,059		$	5,233		$	130		$	144,541
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(20,242		)		(153		)	(38,510		)	(1,264		)	(60,169		)
	Cash collateral	(13,772		)		—			—			—			(13,772		)
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	103,105			$	1,906		$	(33,277	)	$	(1,134	)	$	70,600
Company's Consolidated Statement of Income gains and location of line items	'
	The gains included in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Income and the line items in which they are located for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	Gains on commodity derivatives included in sales and merchandising revenues	$	138,787			$	40,214
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'
	The Company had the following volume of commodity derivative contracts outstanding (on a gross basis) for the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012:
		31-Dec-13
	Commodity	Number of bushels			Number of gallons			Number of pounds		Number of tons
		(in thousands)			(in thousands)			(in thousands)		(in thousands)
	Non-exchange traded:
	Corn	185,978			—			—		—
	Soybeans	18,047			—			—		—
	Wheat	11,485			—			—		—
	Oats	27,939			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			179,212			—		—
	Corn oil	—			—			25,911		—
	Other	81			—			—		89
	Subtotal	243,530			179,212			25,911		89
	Exchange traded:
	Corn	124,420			—			—		—
	Soybeans	11,030			—			—		—
	Wheat	23,980			—			—		—
	Oats	6,820			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			21,630			—		—
	Subtotal	166,250			21,630			—		—
	Total	409,780			200,842			25,911		89
		31-Dec-12
	Commodity	Number of bushels			Number of gallons			Number of pounds		Number of tons
		(in thousands)			(in thousands)			(in thousands)		(in thousands)
	Non-exchange traded:
	Corn	224,019			—			—		—
	Soybeans	14,455			—			—		—
	Wheat	19,407			—			—		—
	Oats	8,113			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			76,099			—		—
	Corn oil	—			—			11,082		—
	Other	27			—			—		72
	Subtotal	266,021			76,099			11,082		72
	Exchange traded:
	Corn	106,305			—			—		—
	Soybeans	8,820			—			—		—
	Wheat	41,125			—			—		—
	Oats	4,345			—			—		—
	Bean oil	—			—			48,000		—
	Ethanol	—			3,795			—		—
	Other	—			—			—		1
	Subtotal	160,595			3,795			48,000		1
	Total	426,616			79,894			59,082		73
Open interest rate contracts	'
	The following table presents the open interest rate contracts at December 31, 2013:
	Interest Rate	Year Entered		Year of Maturity		Initial Notional Amount			Hedged Item		Interest
	Hedging					(in millions)					Rate
	Instrument
	Short-term
	Caps	2012		2014		$	40		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		0.8% to 1.4%
	Long-term
	Swap	2006		2016		$	4		Interest rate component of an operating lease - not accounted for as a hedge		5.20%
	Swap	2006		2016		$	14		Interest rate component of debt - accounted for as cash flow hedge		6.00%
	Swap	2012		2023		$	23		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		4.40%
	Cap	2012		2015		$	10		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		0.90%
	Cap	2012		2016		$	10		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		1.50%
	Cap	2013		2021		$	20		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		0.80%
	Collar	2013		2021		$	40		Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge		2.9% to 4.8%
Fair value of the Company's interest rate derivatives	'
	t December 31, 2013 and 2012, the Company had recorded the following amounts for the fair value of the Company's interest rate derivatives:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments
	Interest rate contracts included in other assets	$	1,179			$	23
	Interest rate contracts included in other long term liabilities	(302		)		(592		)
	Total fair value of interest rate derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	$	877			$	(569	)
	Derivatives designated as hedging instruments
	Interest rate contract included in other long term liabilities	(1,036		)		(1,540		)
	Total fair value of interest rate derivatives designated as hedging instruments	$	(1,036	)		$	(1,540	)
	The gains (losses) included in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Income and the line item in which they are located for interest rate derivatives not designated as hedging instruments are as follows:
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	Interest expense	$	1,409			$	(350	)

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Earnings per share	'
	The computation of basic and diluted earnings per share is as follows:
	(in thousands except per common share data)	Year ended December 31,
		2013		2012		2011
	Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$	89,939	$	79,480	$	95,106
	Less: Distributed and undistributed earnings allocated to nonvested restricted stock	357		389		369
	Earnings available to common shareholders	$	89,582	$	79,091	$	94,737
	Earnings per share – basic:
	Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	27,986		27,784		27,686
	Earnings per common share – basic	$	3.2	$	2.85	$	3.42
	Earnings per share – diluted:
	Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	27,986		27,784		27,686
	Effect of dilutive awards	200		255		243
	Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted	28,186		28,039		27,929
	Earnings per common share – diluted	$	3.18	$	2.82	$	3.39

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Tables

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Obligation and funded status of the pension and postretirement benefit plans	'
	Following are the details of the obligation and funded status of the pension and postretirement benefit plans:
	(in thousands)	Pension								Postretirement
		Benefits								Benefits
	Change in benefit obligation	2013				2012				2013				2012
	Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	117,890			$	109,976			$	36,054			$	31,558
	Service cost	—				—				841				752
	Interest cost	4,227				4,496				1,366				1,319
	Actuarial (gains) losses	(15,393		)		5,560				(4,359		)		2,969
	Participant contributions	—				—				514				487
	Retiree drug subsidy received	—				—				61				168
	Benefits paid	(3,112		)		(2,142		)		(1,094		)		(1,199		)
	Benefit obligation at end of year	$	103,612			$	117,890			$	33,383			$	36,054
	(in thousands)	Pension								Postretirement
		Benefits								Benefits
	Change in plan assets	2013				2012				2013				2012
	Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	99,857			$	87,605			$	—			$	—
	Actual gains on plan assets	12,487				11,178				—				—
	Company contributions	1,630				3,216				580				712
	Participant contributions	—				—				514				487
	Benefits paid	(3,112		)		(2,142		)		(1,094		)		(1,199		)
	Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	110,862			$	99,857			$	—			$	—
	Over (under) funded status of plans at end of year	$	7,250			$	(18,033	)		$	(33,383	)		$	(36,054	)
Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets	'
	Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2013 and 2012 consist of:
		Pension								Postretirement
		Benefits								Benefits
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2013				2012
	Accrued expenses	$	(254	)		$	(202	)		$	(1,244	)		$	(1,241	)
	Employee benefit plan assets	14,328				—				—				—
	Employee benefit plan obligations	(6,824		)		(17,831		)		(32,139		)		(34,813		)
	Net amount recognized	$	7,250			$	(18,033	)		$	(33,383	)		$	(36,054	)
Pre-tax amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss	'
	Following are the details of the pre-tax amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2013:
		Pension								Postretirement
		Benefits								Benefits
	(in thousands)	Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses				Unamortized Prior Service Costs				Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses				Unamortized Prior Service Costs
	Balance at beginning of year	$	59,941			$	—			$	17,570			$	(1,984	)
	Amounts arising during the period	(20,875		)		—				(4,359		)		—
	Amounts recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost	(1,530		)		—				(1,473		)		543
	Balance at end of year	$	37,536			$	—			$	11,738			$	(1,441	)
Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost	'
	The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss that are expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost during the next fiscal year are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Pension				Postretirement				Total
	Prior service cost	$	—			$	(543	)		$	(543	)
	Net actuarial loss	1,530				1,473				3,003
Amounts applicable to the Company's defined benefit plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets	'
	Amounts applicable to the Company's defined benefit plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	Projected benefit obligation	$	7,078			$	117,890
	Accumulated benefit obligation	$	7,078			$	117,890
Defined benefit plan estimated future benefit payments	'
	The combined benefits expected to be paid for all Company defined benefit plans over the next ten years (in thousands) are as follows:
	Year		Expected Pension Benefit Payout				Expected Postretirement Benefit Payout				Medicare Part D
											Subsidy
	2014		$	4,155			$	1,399			$	(155	)
	2015		4,891				1,505				(175		)
	2016		5,194				1,609				(200		)
	2017		6,046				1,718				(229		)
	2018		6,299				1,817				(260		)
	2019-2023		33,076				10,683				(1,832		)
Components of the net periodic benefit cost	'
	Following are components of the net periodic benefit cost for each year:
		Pension												Postretirement
		Benefits												Benefits
		December 31,												December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011				2013				2012			2011
	Service cost	$	—			$	—			$	—			$	841			$	752		$	555
	Interest cost	4,227				4,496				4,578				1,366				1,319			1,285
	Expected return on plan assets	(7,005		)		(6,145		)		(6,236		)		(543		)		(543		)	(543		)
	Recognized net actuarial loss	1,530				1,497				940				1,473				1,280			901
	Benefit cost (income)	$	(1,248	)		$	(152	)		$	(718	)		$	3,137			$	2,808		$	2,198
Schedule of assumptions used	'
	Following are weighted average assumptions of pension and postretirement benefits for each year:
		Pension									Postretirement
		Benefits									Benefits
		2013			2012			2011			2013			2012			2011
	Used to Determine Benefit Obligations at Measurement Date
	Discount rate (a)	4.7	%		3.8	%		4.3	%		4.8	%		3.9	%		4.3	%
	Used to Determine Net Periodic Benefit Cost for Years ended December 31
	Discount rate (b)	3.8	%		4.3	%		5.2	%		3.9	%		4.3	%		5.3	%
	Expected long-term return on plan assets	7.25	%		7.25	%		7.75	%		—			—			—
	Rate of compensation increases	N/A			N/A			3.5	%		—			—			—
	(a)	In 2013, 2012 and 2011, the calculated discount rate for the unfunded pension plan was different than the defined benefit pension plan. The calculated rate for the supplemental employee retirement plan was 2.90%, 2.10% and 3.20% in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
	(b)	In 2013, 2012 and 2011, the calculated discount rate for the unfunded pension plan was different than the defined benefit pension plan. The calculated rate for the supplemental employee retirement plan was 2.10%, 3.20% and 4.20% in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
Assumed health care cost trend rates at beginning of year	'
	The plan strives to have assets sufficiently diversified so that adverse or unexpected results from one security class will not have an unduly detrimental impact on the entire portfolio.
	Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates at Beginning of Year
		2013			2012
	Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year	6.5	%		7	%
	Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate)	5	%		5	%
	Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate	2017			2017
Assumed health care cost trend rate has an effect on the amounts reported for postretirement benefits	'
	The assumed health care cost trend rate has an effect on the amounts reported for postretirement benefits. A one-percentage-point change in the assumed health care cost trend rate would have the following effects:
		One-Percentage-Point
	(in thousands)	Increase				Decrease
	Effect on total service and interest cost components in 2013	$	—			$	—
	Effect on postretirement benefit obligation as of December 31, 2013	(116		)		101
Company's pension plan weighted average asset allocations	'
	The Company's pension plan weighted average asset allocations at December 31 by asset category, are as follows:
	Asset Category	2013			2012
	Equity securities	51	%		54	%
	Fixed income securities	48	%		45	%
	Cash and equivalents	1	%		1	%
		100	%		100	%
Defined benefit plan assets target allocations	'
	The overall expected long-term rate of return is determined by using long-term historical returns for equity and fixed income securities in proportion to their weight in the investment portfolio.
		Percentage of Total Portfolio Market Value
		Minimum			Maximum			Single Security
	Equity based	30	%		70	%		<5%
	Fixed income based	20	%		70	%		<5%
	Cash and equivalents	1	%		5	%		<5%
	Alternative investments	—	%		20	%		<5%
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	'
	The following table presents the fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan at December 31, 2013 and 2012:
	(in thousands)	December 31, 2013
	Assets	Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total
	Mutual funds	$	15,898			$	—			$	—			$	15,898
	Money market fund	—				987				—				987
	Equity funds	—				40,702				—				40,702
	Fixed income funds	—				53,275				—				53,275
	Total	$	15,898			$	94,964			$	—			$	110,862
	(in thousands)	December 31, 2012
	Assets	Level 1				Level 2				Level 3				Total
	Mutual funds	$	12,909			$	—			$	—			$	12,909
	Money market fund	—				779				—				779
	Equity funds	—				40,807				—				40,807
	Fixed income funds	—				45,362				—				45,362
	Total	$	12,909			$	86,948			$	—			$	99,857

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Revenues from external customers
	Grain	$	3,617,943		$	3,293,632		$	2,849,358
	Ethanol	831,965			742,929			641,546
	Plant Nutrient	708,654			797,033			690,631
	Rail	164,794			156,426			107,459
	Turf & Specialty	140,512			131,026			129,716
	Retail	140,706			150,964			157,621
	Total	$	5,604,574		$	5,272,010		$	4,576,331
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Inter-segment sales
	Grain	$	1		$	409		$	2
	Plant Nutrient	17,537			16,135			16,527
	Rail	427			622			593
	Turf & Specialty	2,255			2,350			2,062
	Total	$	20,220		$	19,516		$	19,184
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Interest expense (income)
	Grain	$	9,567		$	12,174		$	13,277
	Ethanol	1,038			759			1,048
	Plant Nutrient	3,312			2,832			3,517
	Rail	5,544			4,807			5,677
	Turf & Specialty	1,237			1,233			1,381
	Retail	689			776			899
	Other	(527		)	(426		)	(543		)
	Total	$	20,860		$	22,155		$	25,256
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Equity in earnings (loss) of affiliates
	Grain	$	33,122		$	29,080		$	23,748
	Ethanol	35,583			(12,598		)	17,715
	Plant Nutrient	—			5			(13		)
	Total	$	68,705		$	16,487		$	41,450
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Other income, net
	Grain	$	2,120		$	2,548		$	2,462
	Ethanol	399			53			159
	Plant Nutrient	1,093			1,917			704
	Rail	7,666			7,136			2,866
	Turf & Specialty	690			784			880
	Retail	501			554			638
	Other	2,407			1,733			213
	Total	$	14,876		$	14,725		$	7,922
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Income (loss) before income taxes
	Grain	$	46,805		$	63,597		$	87,288
	Ethanol	50,600			(3,720		)	23,344
	Plant Nutrient	27,275			39,254			38,267
	Rail	42,785			42,841			9,778
	Turf & Specialty	4,744			2,216			2,000
	Retail	(7,534		)	(3,951		)	(1,520		)
	Other	(20,925		)	(16,189		)	(12,998		)
	Noncontrolling interests	5,763			(3,915		)	1,719
	Total	$	149,513		$	120,133		$	147,878
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
	Identifiable assets
	Grain (a)	$	921,914		$	1,076,986		$	883,395
Ethanol (b)	229,797			206,975			148,975
Plant Nutrient (b)	268,238			257,980			240,543
Rail (b)	312,654			289,467			246,188
Turf & Specialty (b)	89,939			82,683			69,487
Retail (c)	44,910			51,772			52,018
Other (d)	406,104			216,441			93,517
Total	$	2,273,556		$	2,182,304		$	1,734,123
(a) Decrease related to impact of prices on receivables and commodity derivative assets and lower inventory levels
(b) See Note 12. Business Acquisitions for identifiable assets acquired during the periods presented
(c) Decrease related to closing of the Woodville store in the first quarter of 2013 and asset impairments described in Note 3. Property, Plant, and Equipment
(d) Change driven by increase in cash and cash equivalents and capitalized software
	Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
Capital expenditures
Grain	$	8,535		$	30,178		$	24,284
Ethanol	4,052			1,966			—
Plant Nutrient	17,094			18,038			13,296
Rail	4,135			3,896			1,478
Turf & Specialty	6,563			5,043			2,089
Retail	2,944			2,794			1,230
Other	3,463			7,102			1,785
Total	$	46,786		$	69,017		$	44,162
	Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired and investments in affiliates
Grain	$	51,544		$	116,888		$	—
Ethanol	—			77,400			—
Plant Nutrient	—			15,286			2,386
Rail	7,804			—			—
Turf & Specialty	4,103			10,683			—
Other	1,050			—			100
Total	$	64,501		$	220,257		$	2,486
	Year ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2013			2012			2011
Depreciation and amortization
Grain (e)	$	15,620		$	9,554		$	9,625
Ethanol (f)	5,909			5,003			382
Plant Nutrient	14,143			12,014			9,913
Rail	12,031			15,929			14,780
Turf & Specialty	3,070			2,117			1,801
Retail	3,119			3,002			2,770
Other	1,415			1,358			1,566
Total	$	55,307		$	48,977		$	40,837
(e) Increase driven by acquisition of GPG in December 2012
(f) Increase driven by acquisition of TADE in May 2012

Related_Party_Transactions_Tab

Related Party Transactions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]	'
Schedule of aggregate summarized financial information of subsidiaries	'
	The following table presents aggregate summarized financial information of LTG, TAAE, TACE, TAME, Thompsons Limited, and other various investments as they qualified as significant subsidiaries in the aggregate. LTG was the only equity method investment that qualified as a significant subsidiary individually for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011.
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	Sales	$	10,232,395			$	8,080,741			$	6,935,755
	Gross profit	305,016				130,241				165,793
	Income from continuing operations	148,583				34,161				90,510
	Net income	144,699				32,451				87,673
	Current assets	1,406,200				1,266,311
	Non-current assets	508,319				326,776
	Current liabilities	1,040,762				1,062,181
	Non-current liabilities	244,910				123,991
	Noncontrolling interests	20,118				22,745
Company's investment balance in each of its equity method investees by entity	'
	The following table presents the Company’s investment balance in each of its equity method investees by entity:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	$	40,194			$	30,227
	The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	44,418				33,119
	The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	46,811				32,996
	Lansing Trade Group, LLC	106,028				92,094
	Thompsons Limited (a)	49,833				—
	Other	3,825				2,472
	Total	$	291,109			$	190,908
	(a)	Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures
Income (loss) earned from the Company's equity method investments by entity	'
	The following table summarizes income (losses) earned from the Company’s equity method investments by entity:
		% ownership at		December 31,
		31-Dec-13
		(direct and indirect)
	(in thousands)			2013				2012				2011
	The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	53%		$	10,469			$	(497	)		$	5,285
	The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	38%		11,299				(3,828		)		4,341
	The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	50%		13,815				(8,273		)		8,089
	Lansing Trade Group, LLC	49% (a)		31,212				28,559				23,558
	Thompsons Limited (b)	50%		1,634				—				—
	Other	5%-23%		276				526				177
	Total			$	68,705			$	16,487			$	41,450
	(a)	This does not consider the restricted management units which once vested will reduced the ownership percentage by approximately 1.5%.
	(b)	Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures
Schedule of Related Party Transactions	'
	The following table sets forth the related party transactions entered into for the time periods presented:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	Sales revenues	$	1,315,234			$	1,031,458			$	841,366
	Service fee revenues (a)	23,536				22,165				22,850
	Purchases of product	704,948				655,686				636,144
	Lease income (b)	6,223				6,995				6,128
	Labor and benefits reimbursement (c)	10,613				12,140				10,784
	Other expenses (d)	2,349				1,093				192
	Accounts receivable at December 31 (e)	21,979				28,610				14,730
	Accounts payable at December 31 (f)	19,887				17,804				24,530
	(a)	Service fee revenues include management fee, corn origination fee, ethanol and DDG marketing fees, and other commissions.
	(b)	Lease income includes the lease of the Company’s Albion, Michigan and Clymers, Indiana grain facilities as well as certain railcars to the unconsolidated ethanol LLCs and IANR.
	(c)	The Company provides all operational labor to the unconsolidated ethanol LLCs and charges them an amount equal to the Company’s costs of the related services.
	(d)	Other expenses include payments to IANR for repair facility rent and use of their railroad reporting mark, payment to LTG for the lease of railcars and other various expenses.
	(e)	Accounts receivable represents amounts due from related parties for sales of corn, leasing revenue and service fees.
	(f)	Accounts payable represents amounts due to related parties for purchases of ethanol and other various items.

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]	'
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'
	The following table presents the Company's assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2013 and 2012:
	(in thousands)	December 31, 2013
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3				Total
	Cash equivalents	$	97,751	$	—		$	—			$	97,751
	Restricted cash	408		—			—				408
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	50,777		(49,810		)	—				967
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			25,720				25,720
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	10,143		(159		)	—				9,984
	Total	$	159,079	$	(49,969	)	$	25,720			$	134,830
	(in thousands)	December 31, 2012
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3				Total
	Cash equivalents	$	78,674	$	—		$	—			$	78,674
	Restricted cash	398		—			—				398
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	46,966		23,634			—				70,600
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			17,200				17,200
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	7,813		(2,109		)	—				5,704
	Total	$	133,851	$	21,525		$	17,200			$	172,576
	(a)	Includes associated cash posted/received as collateral
	(b)	Recorded in “Other noncurrent assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets
	(c)	Included in other assets and liabilities is interest rate and foreign currency derivatives, swaptions (Level 2) and deferred compensation assets (Level 1)
Beginning and ending balances for the Company's fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs	'
	A reconciliation of beginning and ending balances for the Company’s fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs is as follows:
		2013		2012
	(in thousands)	Convertible		Interest			Convertible				Commodity
		preferred		rate			preferred				derivatives,
		securities		derivatives			securities				net
				and
				swaptions
	Asset (liability) at December 31,	$	17,220	$	(2,178	)	$	20,360			$	2,467
	Gains (losses) included in earnings:
	Unrealized gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	8,500		—			(3,140		)		—
	Transfers to level 2	—		2,178			—				(2,467		)
	Asset (liability) at December 31,	$	25,720	$	—		$	17,220			$	—
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information	'
	The following table summarizes information about the Company's Level 3 fair value measurements as of December 31, 2013:
	Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
							Range
	(in thousands)	Fair Value as of 12/31/13		Valuation Method		Unobservable Input	Low			High			Weighted Average
	Convertible Preferred Securities	$	25,720	Market Approach		EBITDA Multiples	7.5			8			7.75
				Income Approach		Discount Rate	14.5	%		14.5	%		14.5	%
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows	'
	Based upon the Company’s credit standing and current interest rates offered by the Company on similar bonds and rates currently available to the Company for long-term borrowings with similar terms and remaining maturities, the Company estimates the fair values of its long-term debt instruments outstanding at December 31, 2013 and 2012, as follows:
	(in thousands)	Carrying Amount		Fair Value			Fair Value Hierarchy Level
	2013:00:00
	Fixed rate long-term notes payable	$	270,112	$	271,716		Level 2
	Debenture bonds	41,131		42,475			Level 2
		$	311,243	$	314,191
	2012:00:00
	Fixed rate long-term notes payable	$	263,745	$	279,505		Level 2
	Long-term notes payable, non-recourse	785		800			Level 2
	Debenture bonds	35,411		37,135			Level 2
		$	299,941	$	317,440

Debt_Tables

Debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'
Long-term debt	'
	The Company’s short-term and long-term debt at December 31, 2013 and December 31, 2012 consisted of the following:
	(in thousands)	December 31,			December 31,
		2013			2012
	Borrowings under short-term line of credit - nonrecourse	$	—		$	4,219
	Borrowings under short-term line of credit - recourse	—			20,000
	Total borrowings under short-term line of credit	$	—		$	24,219
	Current maturities of long -term debt – nonrecourse	$	6,012		$	2,496
	Current maturities of long-term debt – recourse	45,986			12,649
	Total current maturities of long-term debt	$	51,998		$	15,145
	Long-term debt, less current maturities – nonrecourse	$	4,063		$	20,067
	Long-term debt, less current maturities – recourse	371,150			407,176
	Total long-term debt, less current maturities	$	375,213		$	427,243
Schedule of Short-term Debt	'
	The following information relates to short-term borrowings:
		December 31,
	(in thousands, except percentages)	2013			2012			2011
	Maximum amount borrowed	$	315,000		$	553,400		$	601,500
	Weighted average interest rate	1.92		%	1.96		%	2.73		%
Recourse	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'
Long-term debt	'
	Long-term debt consists of the following:
		December 31,
	(in thousands, except percentages)	2013			2012
	Senior note payable, 3.72%, payable at maturity, due 2017	$	25,000		$	25,000
	Senior note payable, 6.10%, payable at maturity, due 2014	25,000			25,000
	Senior note payable, 6.12%, payable at maturity, due 2015	61,500			61,500
	Senior note payable, 6.78%, payable at maturity, due 2018	41,500			41,500
	Note payable, 4.92%, $2 million annually ($2.5 million for 2013), plus interest, due 2021 (a)	27,178			27,833
	Note payable, 4.76%, payable in increasing amounts ($1.7 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2028 (a)	53,600			55,300
	Note payable, variable rate (2.67% at December 31, 2013), payable in increasing amounts ($1.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2023 (a)	23,015			24,188
	Note payable, 3.29%, payable in increasing amounts ($1.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2022 (a)	25,366			26,533
	Line of credit, variable rate (1.87% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2015	—			25,000
	Notes payable, variable rate (1.42% at December 31, 2013), payable in varying amounts, (7.6 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2016	22,120			12,058
	Note payable, variable rate (1.64% at December 31, 2013), payable in increasing amounts ($1.0 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2023 (a)	11,865			12,815
	Note payable, variable rate (.97% at December 31, 2013), $0.7 million annually, plus interest, due 2016 (a)	8,750			9,450
	Note payable, 8.5%, payable monthly in varying amounts ($0.1 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2016 (a)	988			1,079
	Note payable, 4.76%, payable quarterly in varying amounts ($0.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2028 (a)	9,980			—
	Note payable, 3.56%, payable monthly in varying amounts plus interest, due 2021 (a)	3,459			—
	Industrial development revenue bonds:
	Variable rate (2.55% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2017 (a)	7,934			8,408
	Variable rate (1.97% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2019 (a)	4,650			4,650
	Variable rate (2.10% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2025 (a)	3,100			3,100
	Variable rate (1.81% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2036 (a)	21,000			21,000
	Debenture bonds, 2.65% to 5.00%, due 2014 through 2028	41,131			35,411
		417,136			419,825
	Less: current maturities	45,986			12,649
		$	371,150		$	407,176
	(a)	Debt is collateralized by first mortgages on certain facilities and related equipment or other assets with a book value of $151.7 million
Nonrecourse	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'
Long-term debt	'
	The Company's non-recourse long-term debt consists of the following:
		December 31,
	(in thousands, except percentages)	2013			2012
	Line of credit, variable rate (3.92% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2022	$	—		$	9,378
	Note payable, variable rate (3.92% at December 31, 2013), payable quarterly ($2.3 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2017	10,075			12,400
	Other notes payable	—			785
		10,075			22,563
	Less: current maturities	6,012			2,496
		$	4,063		$	20,067

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Lease income and rental expense from operating leases	'
	Lease income from operating leases (with the Company as lessor) to customers (including month-to-month and per diem leases) and rental expense for railcar operating leases (with the Company as lessee) were as follows:
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013		2012		2011
	Rental and service income - operating leases	$	78,979	$	77,916	$	68,124
	Rental expense	$	13,751	$	11,987	$	16,303
Operating leases future minimum rentals and service income	'
	Future minimum rentals and service income for all noncancelable railcar operating leases are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Future Rental and Service Income - Operating Leases		Future Minimum
				Rental Payments
	Year ended December 31,
	2014	$	61,670	$	15,679
	2015	48,109		15,120
	2016	36,714		13,101
	2017	25,641		10,658
	2018	15,324		7,136
	Future years	20,812		10,410
		$	208,270	$	72,104

Business_Acquisition_Tables

Business Acquisition (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Pro forma information	'
	The amounts of the GPG revenue and earnings included in the Consolidated Statements of Income for the year ended December 31, 2012, and the revenue and earnings of GPG had the acquisition date been January 1, 2011 are as follows:
	(unaudited, in thousands)	Revenue			Operating Income (Loss)
	Actual from 12/3/2012 to 12/31/2012	$	40,477		$	(785	)
	Supplemental pro forma from 1/1/2012 - 12/31/2012	566,821			1,632
	Combined entity pro forma from 1/1/2012 - 12/31/2012	5,798,354			122,550
	Supplemental pro forma from 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011	585,572			1,430
	Combined entity pro forma from 1/1/2011 - 12/31/2011	5,161,903			149,308
Cycle Group, Inc.	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Schedule of recognized identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
	The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Inventory	$	77
	Intangible assets	330
	Property, plant and equipment	3,825
	Total purchase price	$	4,232
Intangible assets acquisition	'
	Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
		Value			Life
	Customer relationships	$	150		5 years
	Noncompete agreement	55			7 years
	Patents	125			5 years
	Total identifiable intangible assets	$	330		5 years *
	*weighted average number of years
Mile Rail	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Schedule of recognized identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
	The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Inventory	$	512
	Other assets	14
	Intangible assets	650
	Goodwill	4,167
	Property, plant and equipment	2,605
	Other liabilities	(144		)
	Total purchase price	$	7,804
Intangible assets acquisition	'
	Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
		Value			Life
	Customer relationships	$	400		5 years
	Noncompete agreement	250			5 years
	Total identifiable intangible assets	$	650		5 years *
	*weighted average number of years
Green Plains Grain Company	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Schedule of recognized identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
	The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Accounts receivable	$	19,174
	Inventory	121,983
	Property, plant and equipment	57,828
	Intangible assets	4,600
	Goodwill	33,175
	Commodity derivatives	4,701
	Other assets	1,775
	Accounts payable	(91,001		)
	Debt assumed	(29,632		)
	Other liabilities	(2,371		)
	Total purchase price	$	120,232
Intangible assets acquisition	'
	Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
		Value			Life
	Supplier relationships	$	4,600		3 to 5 years
	Total identifiable intangible assets	$	4,600		4 years *
	*weighted average number of years
Mt Pulaski	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Schedule of recognized identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
	The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Inventory	$	3,757
	Intangible assets	1,000
	Goodwill	1,985
	Property, plant and equipment	3,941
	Total purchase price	$	10,683
Intangible assets acquisition	'
	Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
		Value			Life
	Trademark	$	300		Indefinite
	Customer list	600			10 years
	Noncompete agreement	100			7 years
	Total identifiable intangible assets	$	1,000		10 years *
	*weighted average number of years
Amaizing Energy Denison LLC	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Schedule of recognized identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
	The summarized final purchase price allocation is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Grain elevator	$	14,285
	Inventory	10,087
	Intangible assets	2,373
	Other current assets	962
	Property, plant and equipment	49,693
	Total purchase price	$	77,400
Intangible assets acquisition	'
	Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
		Value			Life
	Lease intangibles	$	2,123		10 months to 5 years
	Noncompete agreement	250			2 years
	Total identifiable intangible assets	$	2,373		3 years *
New Eezy Gro Inc	'
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'
Schedule of recognized identified assets acquired and liabilities assumed	'
	The summarized purchase price allocation is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Current assets	$	5,106
	Intangible assets	9,600
	Goodwill	6,681
	Property, plant and equipment	3,586
	Current liabilities	(3,784		)
	Deferred tax liability, net	(4,412		)
	Total purchase price	$	16,777
Intangible assets acquisition	'
	Details of the intangible assets acquired are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Fair			Useful
		Value			Life
	Trademarks	$	1,200		10 years
	Customer list	5,500			10 years
	Technology	2,100			5 years
	Noncompete agreement	800			7 years
	Total identifiable intangible assets	$	9,600		9 years *
	*weighted average number of years

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets1

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Table)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Changes in carrying amount of goodwill	'
	The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 are as follows:
	(in thousands)		Grain			Plant Nutrient			Rail			Turf & Specialty		Total
	Balance as of January 1, 2011		$	4,207		$	5,248		$	—		$	686	$	10,141
	Acquisitions		—			1,690			—			—		1,690
	Other adjustments		783			(69		)	—			—		714
	Balance as of December 31, 2011		4,990			6,869			—			686		12,545
	Acquisitions (a)		33,175			6,681			—			1,986		41,842
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		38,165			13,550			—			2,672		54,387
	Acquisitions		—			—			4,167			—		4,167
	Balances of December 31, 2013		$	38,165		$	13,550		$	4,167		$	2,672	$	58,554
Intangible assets included in other assets	'
	The Company's intangible assets are recorded in other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and are as follows:
	(in thousands)	Group		Original Cost			Accumulated Amortization			Net Book Value
	December 31, 2013
	Amortized intangible assets
	Acquired customer list	Rail		$	3,862		$	3,421		$	441
	Acquired customer list	Plant Nutrient		9,596			3,054			6,542
	Acquired customer list	Grain		5,850			2,286			3,564
	Acquired customer list	Turf and Specialty		750			72			678
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Plant Nutrient		2,119			1,501			618
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Grain		175			116			59
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Turf and Specialty		155			17			138
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Rail		250			17			233
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Ethanol		250			209			41
	Acquired marketing agreement	Plant Nutrient		1,607			1,228			379
	Acquired supply agreement	Plant Nutrient		4,846			2,477			2,369
	Supply agreement	Grain		340			—			340
	Acquired grower agreement	Grain		300			300			—
	Patents and other	Various		1,154			411			743
	Trademarks and technology	Plant Nutrient		3,300			1,035			2,265
	Lease intangible	Ethanol		2,123			1,716			407
	Lease intangible	Rail		2,816			2,150			666
				$	39,493		$	20,010		$	19,483
	December 31, 2012
	Amortized intangible assets
	Acquired customer list	Rail		$	3,462		$	3,362		$	100
	Acquired customer list	Plant Nutrient		9,596			2,071			7,525
	Acquired customer list	Grain		8,450			717			7,733
	Acquired customer list	Turf and Specialty		600			10			590
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Plant Nutrient		2,119			1,219			900
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Grain		175			81			94
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Turf and Specialty		100			2			98
	Acquired non-compete agreement	Ethanol		250			84			166
	Acquired marketing agreement	Plant Nutrient		1,607			1,029			578
	Acquired supply agreement	Plant Nutrient		4,846			1,959			2,887
	Supply agreement	Grain		340			—			340
	Acquired grower agreement	Grain		300			275			25
	Patents and other	Various		1,181			486			695
	Trademarks and technology	Plant Nutrient		3,300			495			2,805
	Lease intangible	Ethanol		2,123			1,230			893
	Lease intangible	Rail		2,410			1,778			632
				$	40,859		$	14,798		$	26,061

Income_Taxes_Tables

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Components of income tax provision	'
	Income tax provision applicable to continuing operations consists of the following:
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	Current:
	Federal	$	11,812			$	23,816			$	39,015
	State and local	225				3,492				5,603
	Foreign	1,400				757				962
		$	13,437			$	28,065			$	45,580
	Deferred:
	Federal	$	35,147			$	14,808			$	5,281
	State and local	4,321				1,982				553
	Foreign	906				(287		)		(361		)
		$	40,374			$	16,503			$	5,473
	Total:
	Federal	$	46,959			$	38,624			$	44,296
	State and local	4,546				5,474				6,156
	Foreign	2,306				470				601
		$	53,811			$	44,568			$	51,053
Components of income before income taxes	'
	Income before income taxes from continuing operations consists of the following:
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	U.S. income	$	141,673			$	119,325			$	146,420
	Foreign	7,840				808				1,458
		$	149,513			$	120,133			$	147,878
Effective tax rate reconciliation	'
	A reconciliation from the statutory U.S. federal tax rate to the effective tax rate follows:
		Year ended December 31,
		2013			2012			2011
	Statutory U.S. federal tax rate	35	%		35	%		35	%
	Increase (decrease) in rate resulting from:
	Effect of qualified domestic production deduction	(0.4	)		(0.8	)		(1.6	)
	Effect of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act	0.9			(0.6	)		—
	Effect of noncontrolling interest	(1.3	)		1.1			(0.4	)
	State and local income taxes, net of related federal taxes	2			3			2.7
	Other, net	(0.2	)		(0.6	)		(1.2	)
	Effective tax rate	36	%		37.1	%		34.5	%
Deferred tax liabilities and assets	'
	Significant components of the Company's deferred tax liabilities and assets are as follows:
		December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012
	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Property, plant and equipment and railcar assets leased to others	$	(110,472	)		$	(85,556	)
	Prepaid employee benefits	(17,725		)		(16,490		)
	Investments	(29,749		)		(23,180		)
	Other	(5,426		)		(6,402		)
		(163,372		)		(131,628		)
	Deferred tax assets:
	Employee benefits	36,593				45,400
	Accounts and notes receivable	1,890				1,920
	Inventory	6,605				4,800
	Deferred expenses	689				11,540
	Net operating loss carryforwards	631				654
	Other	1,905				5,038
	Total deferred tax assets	48,313				69,352
	Valuation allowance	(92		)		—
		48,221				69,352
	Net deferred tax liabilities	$	(115,151	)		$	(62,276	)
Unrecognized tax benefits excluding interest and penalties	'
	A reconciliation of the January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2013 amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:
	(in thousands)
	Balance at January 1, 2011	$	614
	Additions based on tax positions related to prior years	43
	Reductions as a result of a lapse in statute of limitations	(22		)
	Balance at December 31, 2011	635
	Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	97
	Additions based on tax positions related to prior years	415
	Reductions as a result of a lapse in statute of limitations	(101		)
	Balance at December 31, 2012	1,046
	Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	114
	Reductions based on tax positions related to prior years	(45		)
	Reductions as a result of a lapse in statute of limitations	(5		)
	Balance at December 31, 2013	$	1,110

Stock_Compensation_Plans_Table

Stock Compensation Plans (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Summary of stock options outstanding and exercisable under long-term performance compensation plan	'
	A reconciliation of the number of SOSARs outstanding and exercisable under the Long-Term Performance Compensation Plan as of December 31, 2013, and changes during the period then ended is as follows:
		Shares			Weighted- Average Exercise				Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
		(000's)			Price						(000's)
	Options & SOSARs outstanding at January 1, 2013	473			$	19.1
	Options exercised	(300	)		20.9
	Options & SOSARs cancelled / forfeited	—			—
	Options and SOSARs outstanding at December 31, 2013	173			$	15.99			0.76		$	7,510
	Vested and expected to vest at December 31, 2013	173			$	15.99			0.76		$	7,510
	Options exercisable at December 31, 2013	173			$	15.99			0.76		$	7,510
		Year ended December 31,
	(in thousands)	2013				2012				2011
	Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$	4,678			$	1,937			$	3,817
	Total fair value of shares vested	$	576			$	818			$	816
	Weighted average fair value of options granted	$	—			$	—			$	—
Summary of nonvested restricted shares	'
	A summary of the status of the Company's nonvested restricted shares as of December 31, 2013, and changes during the period then ended, is presented below:
		Shares (000)'s			Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value
	Nonvested restricted shares at January 1, 2013	180			$	28.82
	Granted	60			47.65
	Vested	(50	)		25.27
	Forfeited	(2	)		29.93
	Nonvested restricted shares at December 31, 2013	188			$	35.74
		Year ended December 31,
		2013		2012		2011
	Total fair value of shares vested (000's)	$1,121		$590		$1,367
	Weighted average fair value of restricted shares granted	$47.65		$28.99		$31.87
Summary of nonvested performance share units	'
	A summary of the status of the Company's PSUs as of December 31, 2013, and changes during the period then ended, is presented below:
		Shares (000)'s			Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value
	Nonvested at January 1, 2013	306			$	28.81
	Granted	104			47.32
	Vested	(54	)		22.09
	Forfeited	(6	)		32.56
	Nonvested at December 31, 2013	350			$	35.27
		Year ended December 31,
		2013		2012		2011
	Weighted average fair value of PSUs granted	$47.32		$28.99		$31.87
Fair value of the option component of the ESP Plan	'
		2013			2012			2011
	Risk free interest rate	0.16	%		0.11	%		0.27	%
	Dividend yield	1.49	%		1.37	%		1.21	%
	Volatility factor of the expected market price of the common shares	0.27			0.41			0.34
	Expected life for the options (in years)	1			1			1

Quarterly_Consolidated_Financi1

Quarterly Consolidated Financial Information (Unaudited) (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]	'
Unaudited quarterly results of operations	'
	The following is a summary of the unaudited quarterly results of operations for 2013 and 2012:
	(in thousands, except for per common share data)
	Quarter Ended	Sales and merchandising revenues		Gross profit		Net income attributable to		Earnings per share-basic		Earnings per share-diluted
						The Andersons, Inc.
	2013
	31-Mar	$	1,271,970	$	79,273	$	12,578	$	0.45	$	0.45
	30-Jun	1,566,964		103,229		29,539		1.05		1.05
	30-Sep	1,181,374		73,146		17,161		0.61		0.61
	31-Dec	1,584,266		109,577		30,661		1.09		1.08
	Year	$	5,604,574	$	365,225	$	89,939	3.2		3.18
	2012
	31-Mar	$	1,137,133	$	85,870	$	18,407	$	0.66	$	0.65
	30-Jun	1,315,834		102,650		29,199		1.05		1.04
	30-Sep	1,138,402		78,316		16,884		0.61		0.6
	31-Dec	1,680,641		91,169		14,990		0.54		0.53
	Year	$	5,272,010	$	358,005	$	79,480	2.85		2.82

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv1

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Equity [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	'
	Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss by Component (a)
		(in thousands)		For the Year Ended December 31, 2013
				Losses on Cash Flow Hedges				Investment in Debt Securities		Defined Benefit Plan Items			Total
	Beginning Balance			$	(902	)		$	2,569	$	(47,046	)	$	(45,379	)
		Other comprehensive income before reclassifications		265				5,292		18,980			24,537
		Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income		—				—		(339		)	(339		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income			265				5,292		18,641			24,198
	Ending balance			$	(637	)		$	7,861	$	(28,405	)	$	(21,181	)
	(a) All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	'
	Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (a)
	(in thousands)		For the Year Ended December 31, 2013
	Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Components		Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income				Affected Line Item in the Statement Where Net Income Is Presented
	Defined Benefit Plan Items
	Amortization of prior-service cost		$	(543	)		(b)
			(543		)		Total before tax
			204				Tax expense
			$	(339	)		Net of tax
	Total reclassifications for the period		$	(339	)		Net of tax
	(a) Amounts in parentheses indicate debits to profit/loss
	(b) This accumulated other comprehensive income component is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost (see Note 6. Employee Benefit Plans footnote for additional details)

Summary_of_Significant_Account2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Maximum period in which contracts for the sale of grain to processors or other consumers extend	'	'1 year	'	'
Marketing balance payable	'	$2.20	$33.90	'
Property subject to or available for leases statutory life minimum	'	'40 years	'	'
Property subject to or available for leases statutory life maximum	'	'50 years	'	'
Amortization of capitalized computer software costs	'	1.1	1	1
Unamortized computer software	'	42.8	24.6	'
Capitalized interest on major projects	0.4	0.6	'	'
Accounts payable for grain	'	83.2	113.1	'
Accrued compensation liability	'	10.1	7.8	'
Advertising expense	'	$3.90	$4.40	$4
Minimum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Intangible assets estimated useful life	'	'5 years	'	'
Maximum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Intangible assets estimated useful life	'	'10 years	'	'
Land Improvements	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Asset estimated average useful life	'	'16 years	'	'
Leasehold Improvements | Minimum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Asset estimated average useful life	'	'3 years	'	'
Leasehold Improvements | Maximum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Asset estimated average useful life	'	'20 years	'	'
Buildings and Storage Facilities | Minimum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Asset estimated average useful life	'	'20 years	'	'
Buildings and Storage Facilities | Maximum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Asset estimated average useful life	'	'30 years	'	'
Machinery and Equipment | Minimum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Asset estimated average useful life	'	'3 years	'	'
Machinery and Equipment | Maximum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Asset estimated average useful life	'	'20 years	'	'
Software | Minimum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Asset estimated average useful life	'	'3 years	'	'
Software | Maximum	'	'	'	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Asset estimated average useful life	'	'10 years	'	'

Inventories_Details

Inventories (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Inventory, Net [Abstract]	'	'
Grain	$432,893	$598,729
Ethanol and by-products	14,453	22,927
Agricultural fertilizer and supplies	100,593	88,429
Lawn fertilizer and corncob products	39,960	37,292
Retail merchandise	22,505	25,368
Railcar repair parts	4,312	3,764
Other	207	168
Total inventories	$614,923	$776,677

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_D

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Components of property, plant and equipment	'	'
Land	$21,801	$22,258
Land improvements and leasehold improvements	67,153	63,013
Buildings and storage facilities	231,976	214,919
Machinery and equipment	308,215	287,896
Software	13,351	12,901
Construction in progress	48,135	34,965
Property, plant and equipment, gross	690,631	635,952
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	303,173	277,074
Property, plant and equipment, net	$387,458	$358,878

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_D1

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details 1) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Components of Railcar assets leased to others	'	'
Railcar assets leased to others	$317,750	$310,614
Less: accumulated depreciation	77,129	82,284
Railcar assets leased to others, net	$240,621	$228,330

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_D2

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'	'	'
Depreciation expense on property, plant and equipment	$37.50	$27.40	$20.40
Asset impairment charges	4.4	'	'
Depreciation expense on railcar assets leased to others	$14.70	$15.90	$13.80

Derivatives_Details_1

Derivatives (Details 1) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Estimated fair value of Company's commodity derivative instruments for cash collateral and associated cash as collateral	'	'
Net derivative asset position, Collateral paid	$15,480	($13,772)
Net derivative asset position, Fair value of derivatives	31,055	61,247
Net derivative asset position, net	46,535	47,475
Net derivative liability position, Collateral paid	0	0
Net derivative liability position, Fair value of derivatives	0	0
Net derivative liability position, net	$0	$0

Derivatives_Details_2

Derivatives (Details 2) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Net derivative asset position, Fair value of derivatives	$31,055	$61,247
Commodity derivative liabilities	0	0
Commodity derivative assets - current	71,319	103,105
Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent	246	1,906
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	-63,954	-33,277
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent	-6,644	-1,134
Commodity Contract	'	'
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Net derivative asset position, Fair value of derivatives	70,870	144,541
Commodity derivative liabilities	-85,383	-60,169
Cash collateral	15,480	-13,772
Total	967	70,600
Commodity Contract | Commodity derivative assets - current	'	'
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Net derivative asset position, Fair value of derivatives	69,289	137,119
Commodity derivative liabilities	-13,450	-20,242
Cash collateral	15,480	-13,772
Commodity derivative assets - current	71,319	103,105
Commodity Contract | Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent	'	'
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Net derivative asset position, Fair value of derivatives	246	2,059
Commodity derivative liabilities	0	-153
Cash collateral	0	0
Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent	246	1,906
Commodity Contract | Commodity derivative liabilities - current	'	'
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Net derivative asset position, Fair value of derivatives	1,286	5,233
Commodity derivative liabilities	-65,240	-38,510
Cash collateral	0	0
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	-63,954	-33,277
Commodity Contract | Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent	'	'
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]	'	'
Net derivative asset position, Fair value of derivatives	49	130
Commodity derivative liabilities	-6,693	-1,264
Cash collateral	0	0
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent	($6,644)	($1,134)

Derivatives_Details_3

Derivatives (Details 3) (Sales, USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Sales	'	'
Company's Consolidated Statement of Income gains and location of line items	'	'
Gains on commodity derivatives included in sales and merchandising revenues	$138,787	$40,214

Derivatives_Details_4

Derivatives (Details 4)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
	lb	bu
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	25,911,000	426,616,000
Non-exchange traded:	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	179,212,000	76,099,000
Non-exchange traded: | Corn	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	185,978,000	0
Non-exchange traded: | Soybeans	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0
Non-exchange traded: | Wheat	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	11,485,000	19,407,000
Non-exchange traded: | Oats	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0
Non-exchange traded: | Ethanol	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	76,099,000
Non-exchange traded: | Corn oil	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0
Non-exchange traded: | Other	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	89,000	0
Exchange traded:	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	3,795,000
Exchange traded: | Corn	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	106,305,000
Exchange traded: | Soybeans	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0
Exchange traded: | Wheat	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	23,980,000	0
Exchange traded: | Oats	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	6,820,000	4,345,000
Exchange traded: | Bean Oil	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	'	0
Exchange traded: | Ethanol	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0
Exchange traded: | Other	'	'
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	'	'
Nonmonetary notional amount	'	0

Derivatives_Details_5

Derivatives (Details 5) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013
Caps	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Year Entered	'2012
Year of Maturity	'2014
Initial Notional Amount (in millions)	$40
Hedged Item	'Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge
Swap	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Year Entered	'2006
Year of Maturity	'2016
Initial Notional Amount (in millions)	4
Hedged Item	'Interest rate component of an operating lease - not accounted for as a hedge
Interest Rate	5.20%
Swap	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Year Entered	'2006
Year of Maturity	'2016
Initial Notional Amount (in millions)	14
Hedged Item	'Interest rate component of debt - accounted for as cash flow hedge
Interest Rate	6.00%
Swap	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Year Entered	'2012
Year of Maturity	'2023
Initial Notional Amount (in millions)	23
Hedged Item	'Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge
Interest Rate	4.40%
Cap	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Year Entered	'2012
Year of Maturity	'2015
Initial Notional Amount (in millions)	10
Hedged Item	'Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge
Interest Rate	0.90%
Cap	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Year Entered	'2012
Year of Maturity	'2016
Initial Notional Amount (in millions)	10
Hedged Item	'Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge
Interest Rate	1.50%
Cap	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Year Entered	'2013
Year of Maturity	'2021
Initial Notional Amount (in millions)	20
Hedged Item	'Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge
Interest Rate	0.80%
Collar	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Year Entered	'2013
Year of Maturity	'2021
Initial Notional Amount (in millions)	$40
Hedged Item	'Interest rate component of debt - not accounted for as a hedge
Minimum | Caps	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Interest Rate	0.80%
Minimum | Collar	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Interest Rate	2.90%
Maximum | Caps	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Interest Rate	1.40%
Maximum | Collar	'
Open interest rate contracts	'
Interest Rate	4.80%

Derivatives_Details_6

Derivatives (Details 6) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	'	'
Interest rate contracts included in other assets	$1,179	$23
Interest rate contracts included in other long term liabilities	-302	-592
Total fair value of interest rate derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	877	-569
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments	'	'
Interest rate contract included in other long term liabilities	-1,036	-1,540
Total fair value of interest rate derivatives designated as hedging instruments	($1,036)	($1,540)

Derivatives_Details_7

Derivatives (Details 7) (Interest expense, USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Interest expense	'	'
Gains (losses) included in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Income and interest rate derivatives not designated as hedging instruments	'	'
Interest expense	$1,409	($350)

Derivatives_Details_Textual

Derivatives (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Maximum period in which contracts for the sale of grain to processors or other consumers extend	'1 year	'	'
Estimated fair value of inventory	$0.30	$7.70	'
Amount reclassified from accumulated and other comprehensive income	0.5	0.3	-0.1
Amount to be reclassified from accumulated and other comprehensive income in next twelve months	($0.50)	'	'

Earnings_Per_Share_Details

Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	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, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$30,661	$17,161	$29,539	$12,578	$14,990	$16,884	$29,199	$18,407	$89,939	$79,480	$95,106
Less: Distributed and undistributed earnings allocated to nonvested restricted stock	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	357	389	369
Earnings available to common shareholders	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	$89,582	$79,091	$94,737
Earnings per share – basic:	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	27,986,000	27,784,000	27,686,000
Earnings per share-basic (in dollars per share)	$1.09	$0.61	$1.05	$0.45	$0.54	$0.61	$1.05	$0.66	$3.20	$2.85	$3.42
Earnings per share – diluted:	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	27,986,000	27,784,000	27,686,000
Effect of dilutive awards (shares)	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	200,000	255,000	243,000
Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	28,186,000	28,039,000	27,929,000
Earnings per share-diluted (in dollars per share)	$1.08	$0.61	$1.05	$0.45	$0.53	$0.60	$1.04	$0.65	$3.18	$2.82	$3.39
Earnings Per Share (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Antidilutive stock-based awards outstanding (shares)	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	0	0	0

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details

Employee Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Change in plan assets	'	'	'
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$99,857	'	'
Company contributions	1,500	'	'
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	110,862	'	'
Pension Benefits	'	'	'
Change in benefit obligation	'	'	'
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	117,890	109,976	'
Service cost	0	0	0
Interest cost	4,227	4,496	4,578
Actuarial (gains) losses	-15,393	5,560	'
Participant contributions	0	0	'
Retiree drug subsidy received	0	0	'
Benefits paid	-3,112	-2,142	'
Benefit obligation at end of year	103,612	117,890	109,976
Change in plan assets	'	'	'
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	99,857	87,605	'
Actual gains on plan assets	12,487	11,178	'
Company contributions	1,630	3,216	'
Participant contributions	0	0	'
Benefits paid	-3,112	-2,142	'
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	110,862	99,857	87,605
Over (under) funded status of plans at end of year	7,250	-18,033	'
Postretirement Benefits	'	'	'
Change in benefit obligation	'	'	'
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	36,054	31,558	'
Service cost	841	752	555
Interest cost	1,366	1,319	1,285
Actuarial (gains) losses	-4,359	2,969	'
Participant contributions	514	487	'
Retiree drug subsidy received	61	168	'
Benefits paid	-1,094	-1,199	'
Benefit obligation at end of year	33,383	36,054	31,558
Change in plan assets	'	'	'
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	0	0	'
Actual gains on plan assets	0	0	'
Company contributions	580	712	'
Participant contributions	514	487	'
Benefits paid	-1,094	-1,199	'
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	0	0	0
Over (under) funded status of plans at end of year	($33,383)	($36,054)	'

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details1

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 1) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets	'	'
Employee benefit plan assets	$14,328	$0
Employee benefit plan obligations	-39,477	-53,131
Pension Benefits	'	'
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets	'	'
Accrued expenses	-254	-202
Employee benefit plan assets	14,328	0
Employee benefit plan obligations	-6,824	-17,831
Net amount recognized	7,250	-18,033
Postretirement Benefits	'	'
Amounts recognized in the consolidated balance sheets	'	'
Accrued expenses	-1,244	-1,241
Employee benefit plan assets	0	0
Employee benefit plan obligations	-32,139	-34,813
Net amount recognized	($33,383)	($36,054)

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details2

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013
Pension Benefits	'
Details of the pre-tax amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss	'
Balance at beginning of year, Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses	$59,941
Balance at beginning of year, Unamortized Prior Service Costs	0
Amounts arising during the period, Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses	-20,875
Amounts arising during the period, Unamortized Prior Service Costs	0
Amounts recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost, Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses	-1,530
Amounts recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost, Unamortized Prior Service Costs	0
Balance at end of year, Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses	37,536
Balance at end of year, Unamortized Prior Service Costs	0
Postretirement Benefits	'
Details of the pre-tax amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive loss	'
Balance at beginning of year, Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses	17,570
Balance at beginning of year, Unamortized Prior Service Costs	-1,984
Amounts arising during the period, Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses	-4,359
Amounts arising during the period, Unamortized Prior Service Costs	0
Amounts recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost, Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses	-1,473
Amounts recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost, Unamortized Prior Service Costs	543
Balance at end of year, Unamortized Actuarial Net Losses	11,738
Balance at end of year, Unamortized Prior Service Costs	($1,441)

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details3

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013
Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss that are expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost	'
Prior service cost	($543)
Net actuarial loss	3,003
Pension Benefits	'
Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss that are expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost	'
Prior service cost	0
Net actuarial loss	1,530
Postretirement Benefits	'
Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive loss that are expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost	'
Prior service cost	-543
Net actuarial loss	$1,473

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details4

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 4) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Amounts applicable to the Company's defined benefit plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets	'	'
Projected benefit obligation	$7,078	$117,890
Accumulated benefit obligation	$7,078	$117,890

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details5

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 5) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Combined benefits expected to be paid for all Company defined benefit plans	'
Medicare Part D Subsidy, 2014	($155)
Medicare Part D Subsidy, 2015	-175
Medicare Part D Subsidy, 2016	-200
Medicare Part D Subsidy, 2017	-229
Medicare Part D Subsidy, 2018	-260
Medicare Part D Subsidy, 2019-2023	-1,832
Pension Benefits	'
Combined benefits expected to be paid for all Company defined benefit plans	'
2014	4,155
2015	4,891
2016	5,194
2017	6,046
2018	6,299
2019-2023	33,076
Expected Postretirement Benefit Payout	'
Combined benefits expected to be paid for all Company defined benefit plans	'
2014	1,399
2015	1,505
2016	1,609
2017	1,718
2018	1,817
2019-2023	$10,683

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details6

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 6) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Pension Benefits	'	'	'
Components of the net periodic benefit cost	'	'	'
Service cost	$0	$0	$0
Interest cost	4,227	4,496	4,578
Expected return on plan assets	-7,005	-6,145	-6,236
Recognized net actuarial loss	1,530	1,497	940
Benefit cost (income)	-1,248	-152	-718
Postretirement Benefits	'	'	'
Components of the net periodic benefit cost	'	'	'
Service cost	841	752	555
Interest cost	1,366	1,319	1,285
Expected return on plan assets	-543	-543	-543
Recognized net actuarial loss	1,473	1,280	901
Benefit cost (income)	$3,137	$2,808	$2,198

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details7

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 7)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Pension Benefits	'		'		'
Used to Determine Benefit Obligations at Measurement Date	'		'		'
Discount rate	4.70%	[1]	3.80%	[1]	4.30%	[1]
Used to Determine Net Periodic Benefit Cost for Years ended December 31	'		'		'
Discount rate	3.80%	[2]	4.30%	[2]	5.20%	[2]
Expected long-term return on plan assets	7.25%		7.25%		7.80%
Rate of compensation increases	'		'		3.50%
Postretirement Benefits	'		'		'
Used to Determine Benefit Obligations at Measurement Date	'		'		'
Discount rate	4.80%	[1]	3.90%	[1]	4.30%	[1]
Used to Determine Net Periodic Benefit Cost for Years ended December 31	'		'		'
Discount rate	3.90%	[2]	4.30%	[2]	5.30%	[2]
Expected long-term return on plan assets	0.00%		0.00%		0.00%
Rate of compensation increases	0.00%		0.00%		0.00%
[1]	In 2013, 2012 and 2011, the calculated discount rate for the unfunded pension plan was different than the defined benefit pension plan. The calculated rate for the supplemental employee retirement plan was 2.90%, 2.10% and 3.20% in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
[2]	In 2013, 2012 and 2011, the calculated discount rate for the unfunded pension plan was different than the defined benefit pension plan. The calculated rate for the supplemental employee retirement plan was 2.10%, 3.20% and 4.20% in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details8

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 8)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Assumed Health Care Cost Trend Rates at Beginning of Year	'	'
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year	6.50%	7.00%
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate)	5.00%	5.00%
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate	'2017	'2017

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details9

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 9) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013
Effects of one-percentage-point change in the assumed health care cost trend rate	'
Effect on total service and interest cost components in 2013, One Percentage Point Increase	$0
Effect on total service and interest cost components in 2013, One Percentage Point Decrease	0
Effect on postretirement benefit obligation as of December 31, 2013, One Percentage Point Increase	-116
Effect on postretirement benefit obligation as of December 31, 2013, One Percentage Point Decrease	$101

Recovered_Sheet1

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 10)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Asset Category	'	'
Wieghted average asset allocations	100.00%	100.00%
Equity securities	'	'
Asset Category	'	'
Wieghted average asset allocations	51.00%	54.00%
Fixed income securities	'	'
Asset Category	'	'
Wieghted average asset allocations	48.00%	45.00%
Cash and equivalents	'	'
Asset Category	'	'
Wieghted average asset allocations	1.00%	1.00%

Recovered_Sheet2

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 11)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Equity based	'
Percentage of Total Portfolio Market Value	'
Equity Securities, Single Securities (less than 5%)	5.00%
Equity Securities, Minimum	30.00%
Equity Securities, Maximum	70.00%
Fixed income securities	'
Percentage of Total Portfolio Market Value	'
Equity Securities, Single Securities (less than 5%)	5.00%
Equity Securities, Minimum	20.00%
Equity Securities, Maximum	70.00%
Cash and equivalents	'
Percentage of Total Portfolio Market Value	'
Cash and equivalents, Single securities (less than 5%)	5.00%
Cash and equivalents, Minimum	1.00%
Cash and equivalents, Maximum	5.00%
Alternative investments	'
Percentage of Total Portfolio Market Value	'
Alternative Investments, Single securities (less than 5%)	5.00%
Alternative Investments, Minimum	0.00%
Alternative Investments, Maximum	20.00%

Recovered_Sheet3

Employee Benefit Plans (Details 12) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	$110,862	$99,857
Level 1	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	15,898	12,909
Level 2	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	94,964	86,948
Level 3	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	0	0
Mutual funds	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	15,898	12,909
Mutual funds | Level 1	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	15,898	12,909
Mutual funds | Level 2	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	0	0
Mutual funds | Level 3	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	0	0
Money market fund	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	987	779
Money market fund | Level 1	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	0	0
Money market fund | Level 2	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	987	779
Money market fund | Level 3	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	0	0
Equity based	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	40,702	40,807
Equity based | Level 1	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	0	0
Equity based | Level 2	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	40,702	40,807
Equity based | Level 3	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	0	0
Fixed income securities	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	53,275	45,362
Fixed income securities | Level 1	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	0	0
Fixed income securities | Level 2	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	53,275	45,362
Fixed income securities | Level 3	'	'
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]	'	'
Fair value of the assets (by asset category) in the Company's defined benefit pension plan	$0	$0

Recovered_Sheet4

Employee Benefit Plans (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Employee Benefit Plan Obligations (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Company's expense for its defined contribution plans	$10,300,000	$8,800,000	$7,800,000
Contributions to the defined benefit pension plan	$1,500,000	'	'
Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan	'	'	'
Employee Benefit Plan Obligations (Textual) [Abstract]	'	'	'
Calculated rate for the supplemental employee retirement plan	2.90%	2.10%	3.20%
Discount rate	2.10%	3.20%	4.20%

Segment_Information_Details

Segment Information (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

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, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales and merchandising revenues

$1,584,266

$1,181,374

$1,566,964

$1,271,970

$1,680,641

$1,138,402

$1,315,834

$1,137,133

$5,604,574

$5,272,010

$4,576,331

Inter-segment sales

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

20,220

19,516

19,184

Interest expense (income)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

20,860

22,155

25,256

Equity in earnings of affiliates, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

68,705

16,487

41,450

Other income, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

14,876

14,725

7,922

Income (loss) before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

149,513

120,133

147,878

Identifiable assets

2,273,556

'

'

'

2,182,304

'

'

'

2,273,556

2,182,304

1,734,123

Capital expenditures

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

46,786

69,017

44,162

Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

64,501

220,257

2,486

Depreciation and amortization

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

55,307

48,977

40,837

Grain

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales and merchandising revenues

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,617,943

3,293,632

2,849,358

Inter-segment sales

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1

409

2

Interest expense (income)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

9,567

12,174

13,277

Equity in earnings of affiliates, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

33,122

29,080

23,748

Other income, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,120

2,548

2,462

Income (loss) before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

46,805

63,597

87,288

Identifiable assets

921,914

[1]

'

'

'

1,076,986

[1]

'

'

'

921,914

[1]

1,076,986

[1]

883,395

[1]

Capital expenditures

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

8,535

30,178

24,284

Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

51,544

116,888

0

Depreciation and amortization

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

15,620

[2]

9,554

[2]

9,625

[2]

Ethanol

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales and merchandising revenues

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

831,965

742,929

641,546

Interest expense (income)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,038

759

1,048

Equity in earnings of affiliates, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

35,583

-12,598

17,715

Other income, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

399

53

159

Income (loss) before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

50,600

-3,720

23,344

Identifiable assets

229,797

[3]

'

'

'

206,975

[3]

'

'

'

229,797

[3]

206,975

[3]

148,975

[3]

Capital expenditures

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,052

1,966

0

Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

0

77,400

0

Depreciation and amortization

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

5,909

[4]

5,003

[4]

382

[4]

Plant Nutrient

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales and merchandising revenues

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

708,654

797,033

690,631

Inter-segment sales

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

17,537

16,135

16,527

Interest expense (income)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,312

2,832

3,517

Equity in earnings of affiliates, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

0

5

-13

Other income, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,093

1,917

704

Income (loss) before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

27,275

39,254

38,267

Identifiable assets

268,238

[3]

'

'

'

257,980

[3]

'

'

'

268,238

[3]

257,980

[3]

240,543

[3]

Capital expenditures

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

17,094

18,038

13,296

Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

0

15,286

2,386

Depreciation and amortization

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

14,143

12,014

9,913

Rail

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales and merchandising revenues

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

164,794

156,426

107,459

Inter-segment sales

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

427

622

593

Interest expense (income)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

5,544

4,807

5,677

Other income, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

7,666

7,136

2,866

Income (loss) before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

42,785

42,841

9,778

Identifiable assets

312,654

[3]

'

'

'

289,467

[3]

'

'

'

312,654

[3]

289,467

[3]

246,188

[3]

Capital expenditures

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,135

3,896

1,478

Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

7,804

0

0

Depreciation and amortization

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

12,031

15,929

14,780

Turf & Specialty

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales and merchandising revenues

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

140,512

131,026

129,716

Inter-segment sales

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,255

2,350

2,062

Interest expense (income)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,237

1,233

1,381

Other income, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

690

784

880

Income (loss) before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,744

2,216

2,000

Identifiable assets

89,939

[3]

'

'

'

82,683

[3]

'

'

'

89,939

[3]

82,683

[3]

69,487

[3]

Capital expenditures

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

6,563

5,043

2,089

Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,103

10,683

0

Depreciation and amortization

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,070

2,117

1,801

Retail

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales and merchandising revenues

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

140,706

150,964

157,621

Interest expense (income)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

689

776

899

Other income, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

501

554

638

Income (loss) before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-7,534

-3,951

-1,520

Identifiable assets

44,910

[5]

'

'

'

51,772

[5]

'

'

'

44,910

[5]

51,772

[5]

52,018

[5]

Capital expenditures

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,944

2,794

1,230

Depreciation and amortization

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,119

3,002

2,770

Other Segments

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest expense (income)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-527

-426

-543

Other income, net

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,407

1,733

213

Income (loss) before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-20,925

-16,189

-12,998

Identifiable assets

406,104

[6]

'

'

'

216,441

[6]

'

'

'

406,104

[6]

216,441

[6]

93,517

[6]

Capital expenditures

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,463

7,102

1,785

Payments to Acquire Businesses and Interest in Affiliates

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,050

0

100

Depreciation and amortization

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,415

1,358

1,566

Noncontrolling interests

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Income (loss) before income taxes

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$5,763

($3,915)

$1,719

[1]

Decrease related to impact of prices on receivables and commodity derivative assets and lower inventory levels

[2]

Increase driven by acquisition of GPG in December 2012

[3]

See Note 12. Business Acquisitions for identifiable assets acquired during the periods presented

[4]

Increase driven by acquisition of TADE in May 2012

[5]

Decrease related to closing of the Woodville store in the first quarter of 2013 and asset impairments described in Note 3. Property, Plant, and Equipment

[6]

Change driven by increase in cash and cash equivalents and capitalized software

Segment_Information_Details_Te

Segment Information (Details Textual) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

segment

Plant Nutrient

Plant Nutrient

Plant Nutrient

Grain

Grain

Grain

Rail

Rail

Rail

Railcar

Railcar

Canada

Canada

Canada

Mexico

Mexico

Mexico

Green Plains Grain Company

Green Plains Grain Company

Rail

Rail

Rail

Rail

Rail

Rail

Plant Nutrient

Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of reportable segments (business segments)

6

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Identifiable assets

$2,273,556

$2,182,304

$1,734,123

$268,238

[1]

$257,980

[1]

$240,543

[1]

$921,914

[2]

$1,076,986

[2]

$883,395

[2]

$312,654

[1]

$289,467

[1]

$246,188

[1]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$28,000

Revenues

'

'

'

'

'

'

220,000

261,800

164,800

'

'

'

'

'

8,700

10,600

13,300

'

'

'

40,477

'

Railcar assets leased to others, net

240,621

228,330

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

18,300

38,500

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Rental and service income-operating leases

$78,979

$77,916

$68,124

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$400

$400

$400

'

'

[1]

See Note 12. Business Acquisitions for identifiable assets acquired during the periods presented

[2]

Decrease related to impact of prices on receivables and commodity derivative assets and lower inventory levels

Related_Party_Transactions_Det

Related Party Transactions (Details 1) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

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, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2010

Related Party Transaction [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales

$1,584,266

$1,181,374

$1,566,964

$1,271,970

$1,680,641

$1,138,402

$1,315,834

$1,137,133

$5,604,574

$5,272,010

$4,576,331

'

Gross profit

109,577

73,146

103,229

79,273

91,169

78,316

102,650

85,870

365,225

358,005

352,852

'

Net income

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

95,702

75,565

96,825

'

Current assets

1,221,784

'

'

'

1,297,153

'

'

'

1,221,784

1,297,153

'

'

Current liabilities

992,333

'

'

'

992,807

'

'

'

992,333

992,807

'

'

Noncontrolling interests

724,421

'

'

'

611,445

'

'

'

724,421

611,445

538,842

464,559

Subsidiaries

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Related Party Transaction [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Sales

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

10,232,395

8,080,741

6,935,755

'

Gross profit

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

305,016

130,241

165,793

'

Income from continuing operations

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

148,583

34,161

90,510

'

Net income

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

144,699

32,451

87,673

'

Current assets

1,406,200

'

'

'

1,266,311

'

'

'

1,406,200

1,266,311

'

'

Non-current assets

508,319

'

'

'

326,776

'

'

'

508,319

326,776

'

'

Current liabilities

1,040,762

'

'

'

1,062,181

'

'

'

1,040,762

1,062,181

'

'

Non-current liabilities

244,910

'

'

'

123,991

'

'

'

244,910

123,991

'

'

Noncontrolling interests

$20,118

'

'

'

$22,745

'

'

'

$20,118

$22,745

'

'

Related_Party_Transactions_Det1

Related Party Transactions (Details 2) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]	'		'
Equity method investments	$291,109		$190,908
The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	'		'
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]	'		'
Equity method investments	40,194		30,227
The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	'		'
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]	'		'
Equity method investments	44,418		33,119
The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	'		'
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]	'		'
Equity method investments	46,811		32,996
Lansing Trade Group, LLC	'		'
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]	'		'
Equity method investments	106,028		92,094
Thompsons Limited	'		'
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]	'		'
Equity method investments	49,833	[1]	0	[1]
Other	'		'
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]	'		'
Equity method investments	$3,825		$2,472
[1]	(a)Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures

Related_Party_Transactions_Det2

Related Party Transactions (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Jul. 31, 2013
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]	'		'		'		'
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	$68,705		$16,487		$41,450		'
Reduction in ownership percentage (percentage)	2.00%		'		'		'
The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	'		'		'		'
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]	'		'		'		'
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	53.00%		'		'		'
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	10,469		-497		5,285		'
The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	'		'		'		'
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]	'		'		'		'
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	38.00%		'		'		'
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	11,299		-3,828		4,341		'
The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	'		'		'		'
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]	'		'		'		'
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	50.00%		'		'		'
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	13,815		-8,273		8,089		'
Lansing Trade Group, LLC	'		'		'		'
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]	'		'		'		'
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	49.00%	[1]	'		'		'
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	31,212		28,559		23,558		'
Thompsons Limited	'		'		'		'
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]	'		'		'		'
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	50.00%	[2]	'		'		50.00%
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	1,634	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]	'
Other	'		'		'		'
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]	'		'		'		'
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	$276		$526		$177		'
Minimum | Other	'		'		'		'
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]	'		'		'		'
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	5.00%		'		'		'
Maximum | Other	'		'		'		'
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]	'		'		'		'
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	23.00%		'		'		'
[1]	This does not consider the restricted management units which once vested will reduced the ownership percentage by approximately 1.5%.
[2]	Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures

Related_Party_Transactions_Det3

Related Party Transactions (Details 4) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Related party transactions entered into for the time periods presented	'		'		'
Sales revenues	$1,315,234		$1,031,458		$841,366
Service fee revenues	23,536	[1]	22,165	[1]	22,850	[1]
Purchases of product	704,948		655,686		636,144
Lease income	6,223	[2]	6,995	[2]	6,128	[2]
Labor and benefits reimbursement	10,613	[3]	12,140	[3]	10,784	[3]
Other expenses	2,349	[4]	1,093	[4]	192	[4]
Accounts receivable	21,979	[5]	28,610	[5]	14,730	[5]
Accounts payable	$19,887	[6]	$17,804	[6]	$24,530	[6]
[1]	Service fee revenues include management fee, corn origination fee, ethanol and DDG marketing fees, and other commissions.
[2]	Lease income includes the lease of the Company’s Albion, Michigan and Clymers, Indiana grain facilities as well as certain railcars to the unconsolidated ethanol LLCs and IANR.
[3]	The Company provides all operational labor to the unconsolidated ethanol LLCs and charges them an amount equal to the Company’s costs of the related services.
[4]	Other expenses include payments to IANR for repair facility rent and use of their railroad reporting mark, payment to LTG for the lease of railcars and other various expenses.
[5]	Accounts receivable represents amounts due from related parties for sales of corn, leasing revenue and service fees.
[6]	Accounts payable represents amounts due to related parties for purchases of ethanol and other various items.

Related_Party_Transactions_Det4

Related Party Transactions (Details Textual) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2007

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2009

Jan. 31, 2007

Jul. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Jul. 31, 2013

Jul. 31, 2013

Director

The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC

The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC

The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC

The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC

Lux JV Hold Co [Member]

Thompsons Limited

Thompsons Limited

Lansing Trade Group [Member]

gal

gal

gal

Entity

Related Party Transaction [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Capacity of production facility gallon per year

110,000,000

'

'

'

55,000,000

110,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)

'

'

'

'

53.00%

50.00%

'

'

100.00%

50.00%

[1]

50.00%

'

Equity method investment ownership percentage transferred

'

'

'

'

'

'

50.00%

50.00%

'

'

'

'

Noncontrolling interest, ownership percentage by noncontrolling owners

'

'

'

34.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Additional investment for minority interest ownership by noncontrolling owners

'

'

'

'

'

'

$1,100,000

'

'

'

'

'

Number of ethanol entities

3

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Revenues recognized for sale of ethanol

613,700,000

683,100,000

678,800,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Revenues recognized for sale of corn

719,500,000

676,300,000

706,600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Due from related parties

9,200,000

9,400,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Receivables due from related parties due more than 30 days

3,100

3,800

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

152,000,000

'

48,000,000

40,000,000

Face amount of debt

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

64,000,000

'

number of locations

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

12

'

Total distributions received from unconsolidated affiliates

17,800,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Undistributed earnings of equity method investments

110,100,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Percentage of new shares acquired from subsidiary (percentage)

100.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Voting interest in IANR (percentage)

49.90%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Voting interest held by the common shareholders (percentage)

50.10%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Rate of dividends accrued annually (percentage)

14.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Estimated fair value of the Company's investment in IANR

25,700,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Impact on total comprehensive income for overstatement of the estimated value of the investment in IANR

5,292,000

-1,978,000

2,860,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of board of directors (directors)

5

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Directors from the Company (directors)

2

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Directors from common shareholders (directors)

2

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Independent director (directors)

1

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of board of directors required to take key decision (directors)

4

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Current maximum exposure to loss related to IANR

31,200,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Investment and unpaid accrued dividends

5,500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Related party, Gross asset

8,900,000

3,200,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Related party, Gross liability

$1,200,000

$300,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

[1]

Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'		'
Cash equivalents	$97,751		$78,674
Restricted cash	408		398
Commodity derivatives, net (a)	967	[1]	70,600	[1]
Convertible preferred securities	25,720	[2]	17,200	[2]
Other assets and liabilities	9,984	[3]	5,704	[3]
Total	134,830		172,576
Level 1	'		'
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'		'
Cash equivalents	97,751		78,674
Restricted cash	408		398
Commodity derivatives, net (a)	50,777	[1]	46,966	[1]
Convertible preferred securities	0	[2]	0	[2]
Other assets and liabilities	10,143	[3]	7,813	[3]
Total	159,079		133,851
Level 2	'		'
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'		'
Cash equivalents	0		0
Restricted cash	0		0
Commodity derivatives, net (a)	-49,810	[1]	23,634	[1]
Convertible preferred securities	0	[2]	0	[2]
Other assets and liabilities	-159	[3]	-2,109	[3]
Total	-49,969		21,525
Level 3	'		'
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	'		'
Cash equivalents	0		0
Restricted cash	0		0
Commodity derivatives, net (a)	0	[1]	0	[1]
Convertible preferred securities	25,720	[2]	17,200	[2]
Other assets and liabilities	0	[3]	0	[3]
Total	$25,720		$17,200
[1]	Includes associated cash posted/received as collateral
[2]	Recorded in “Other noncurrent assets” on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets
[3]	Included in other assets and liabilities is interest rate and foreign currency derivatives, swaptions (Level 2) and deferred compensation assets

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail1

Fair Value Measurements (Details 1) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Convertible preferred securities	'	'
Beginning and ending balances for the Company's fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs	'	'
Asset, Beginning Balance	$17,220	$20,360
Unrealized gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	8,500	-3,140
Transfers to level 2	0	0
Asset, Ending Balance	25,720	17,220
Interest rate derivatives and swaptions	'	'
Beginning and ending balances for the Company's fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs	'	'
Liability, Beginning Balance	'	-2,178
Unrealized gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	'	0
Transfers to level 2	'	2,178
Liability, Ending Balance	'	0
Commodity derivatives, net	'	'
Beginning and ending balances for the Company's fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs	'	'
Asset, Beginning Balance	'	2,467
Unrealized gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	'	0
Transfers to level 2	'	-2,467
Asset, Ending Balance	'	$0

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail2

Fair Value Measurements (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]	'
Loan term	'15 years
Convertible preferred securities | Level 3	'
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]	'
Convertible Preferred Securities	25,720
Convertible preferred securities | Market Approach | Level 3	'
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]	'
EBITDA Multiples	7,750
Convertible preferred securities | Income Approach | Level 3	'
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]	'
Discount Rate	14.50%
Convertible preferred securities | Minimum | Market Approach | Level 3	'
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]	'
EBITDA Multiples	7,500
Convertible preferred securities | Minimum | Income Approach | Level 3	'
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]	'
Discount Rate	14.50%
Convertible preferred securities | Maximum | Market Approach | Level 3	'
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]	'
EBITDA Multiples	8,000
Convertible preferred securities | Maximum | Income Approach | Level 3	'
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information [Line Items]	'
Discount Rate	14.50%

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail3

Fair Value Measurements (Details 3) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Carrying Amount	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	$311,243	$299,941
Fair Value	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	314,191	317,440
Level 2 | Notes payable | Carrying Amount	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	270,112	263,745
Level 2 | Notes payable | Fair Value	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	271,716	279,505
Level 2 | Nonrecourse | Notes payable | Carrying Amount	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	'	785
Level 2 | Nonrecourse | Notes payable | Fair Value	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	'	800
Level 1 | Debenture bonds | Carrying Amount	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	41,131	35,411
Level 1 | Debenture bonds | Fair Value	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows	'	'
Fair value of long-term debt	$42,475	$37,135

Debt_Details

Debt (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 07, 2011
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Borrowings under short-term line of credit	$0	$24,219	$90,000
Long-term debt	'	'	'
Total current maturities of long-term debt	51,998	15,145	'
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	375,213	427,243	'
Nonrecourse	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Borrowings under short-term line of credit	0	4,219	'
Long-term debt	'	'	'
Total current maturities of long-term debt	6,012	2,496	'
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	4,063	20,067	'
Recourse	'	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'	'
Borrowings under short-term line of credit	0	20,000	'
Long-term debt	'	'	'
Total current maturities of long-term debt	45,986	12,649	'
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	$371,150	$407,176	'

Debt_Details_1

Debt (Details 1) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Maximum amount borrowed	$315,000	$553,400	$601,500
Weighted average interest rate	1.92%	1.96%	2.73%

Debt_Details_2

Debt (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Long-term debt	'		'
Total current maturities of long-term debt	$51,998,000		$15,145,000
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	375,213,000		427,243,000
Collateralized debt book value	151,700,000		'
Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	417,136,000		419,825,000
Total current maturities of long-term debt	45,986,000		12,649,000
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	371,150,000		407,176,000
Nonrecourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	10,075,000		22,563,000
Total current maturities of long-term debt	6,012,000		2,496,000
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	4,063,000		20,067,000
Senior note payable, 3.72%, payable at maturity, due 2017 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	25,000,000		25,000,000
Interest rate of debt instruments	3.72%		'
Senior note payable, 6.10%, payable at maturity, due 2014 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	25,000,000		25,000,000
Interest rate of debt instruments	6.10%		'
Senior note payable, 6.12%, payable at maturity, due 2015 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	61,500,000		61,500,000
Interest rate of debt instruments	6.12%		'
Senior note payable, 6.78%, payable at maturity, due 2018 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	41,500,000		41,500,000
Interest rate of debt instruments	6.78%		'
Note payable, 4.92%, $2 million annually ($2.5 million for 2013), plus interest, due 2021 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	27,178,000	[1]	27,833,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	4.92%		'
Principal payments	2,455,000		'
Note payable, 4.76%, payable in increasing amounts ($1.7 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2028 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	53,600,000	[1]	55,300,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	4.76%		'
Principal payments	1,700,000		'
Note payable, variable rate (2.67% at December 31, 2012), payable in increasing amounts ($1.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2023 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	23,015,000	[1]	24,188,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	2.67%		'
Principal payments	1,172,000		'
Note payable, 3.29%, payable in increasing amounts ($1.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2022 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	25,366,000	[1]	26,533,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	3.29%		'
Principal payments	1,167,000		'
Line of credit, variable rate (1.87% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2015 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	0		25,000,000
Interest rate of debt instruments	1.87%		'
Notes payable, variable rate (1.42% at December 31, 2013), payable in varying amounts, (7.6 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2016 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	22,120,000		12,058,000
Interest rate of debt instruments	1.42%		'
Principal payments	7,565,000		'
Note payable, variable rate (1.64% at December 31, 2012), payable in increasing amounts ($1.0 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2023 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	11,865,000	[1]	12,815,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	1.64%		'
Principal payments	950,000		'
Note payable, variable rate (.97% at December 31, 2012), $0.7 million annually, plus interest, due 2016 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	8,750,000	[1]	9,450,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	0.97%		'
Principal payments	700,000		'
Note payable, 8.5%, payable monthly in varying amounts ($0.1 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2016 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	988,000	[1]	1,079,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	8.50%		'
Principal payments	90,000		'
Note payable, 4.76%, payable quarterly in varying amounts ($0.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2028 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	9,980,000	[1]	0	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	4.76%		'
Principal payments	234,000		'
Note payable, 3.56%, payable monthly in varying amounts plus interest, due 2021 (a) | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	3,459,000	[1]	0	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	3.56%		'
Principal payments	0		'
Variable rate (2.55% at December 31, 2012), due 2017 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	7,934,000	[1]	8,408,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	2.55%		'
Variable rate (1.97% at December 31, 2012), due 2019 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	4,650,000	[1]	4,650,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	1.97%		'
Variable rate (2.10% at December 31, 2012), due 2025 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	3,100,000	[1]	3,100,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	2.10%		'
Variable rate (1.81% at December 31, 2012), due 2036 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	21,000,000	[1]	21,000,000	[1]
Interest rate of debt instruments	1.81%		'
Debenture bonds, 2.65% to 5.00%, due 2014 through 2028 | Recourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	41,131,000		35,411,000
Debenture bonds, 2.65% to 5.00%, due 2014 through 2028 | Recourse | Minimum	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Interest rate of debt instruments	2.65%		'
Debenture bonds, 2.65% to 5.00%, due 2014 through 2028 | Recourse | Maximum	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Interest rate of debt instruments	5.00%		'
Line of credit, variable rate (3.92% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2022 | Nonrecourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	0		9,378,000
Interest rate of debt instruments	3.92%		'
Note payable, variable rate (3.92% at December 31, 2013), payable quarterly ($2.3 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2017 | Nonrecourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	10,075,000		12,400,000
Interest rate of debt instruments	3.92%		'
Other notes payable | Nonrecourse	'		'
Long-term debt	'		'
Total long-term debt	$0		$785,000
[1]	Debt is collateralized by first mortgages on certain facilities and related equipment or other assets with a book value of $151.7 million

Debt_Details_Textual

Debt (Details Textual) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 07, 2011

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 07, 2011

Dec. 07, 2011

Dec. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2012

Jun. 30, 2012

Jun. 30, 2012

Dec. 31, 2013

Jun. 30, 2012

Recourse

Recourse

Nonrecourse

Nonrecourse

Nonrecourse

Nonrecourse

Nonrecourse

Line of credit, variable rate (1.87% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2015

Line of credit, variable rate (1.87% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2015

Line of credit, variable rate (3.92% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2022

Line of credit, variable rate (3.92% at December 31, 2013), payable at maturity, due 2022

Note payable, 4.76%, payable quarterly in varying amounts ($0.2 million for 2013) plus interest, due 2028

Note payable, 3.56%, payable monthly in varying amounts plus interest, due 2021

Five year term debenture bonds

Ten year term debenture bonds

15 year loan with fixed interest rate of 4.8%

Short-term

Long-term

Standby letters of credit

Standby letters of credit

Line of credit

Line of credit

Nonrecourse

Nonrecourse

December 31 2014

December 31 2015

December 31 2016

Recourse

Recourse

Nonrecourse

Nonrecourse

Recourse

Recourse

Recourse

The Andersons Denison Ethanol LLC

Short Term Line Of Credit

Long Term Line Of Credit

The Andersons Denison Ethanol LLC

The Andersons Denison Ethanol LLC

Available-for-sale Securities

Available-for-sale Securities

Available-for-sale Securities

The Andersons Denison Ethanol LLC

The Andersons Denison Ethanol LLC

Debt Instrument [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Line of credit facility

$0

$24,219,000

'

$90,000,000

$0

$20,000,000

$0

$4,219,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$735,000,000

$115,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Standby letters of credit outstanding

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

29,900,000

500,000

'

'

'

'

Period of borrowings draw down under line of credit

'90 days

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Total borrowing capacity under lines of credit

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

13,000,000

15,100,000

'

28,100,000

Notes and Loans Payable

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

10,100,000

12,400,000

Interest rate of debt instruments

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1.87%

'

3.92%

'

4.76%

3.56%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Face amount of debt

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

10,200,000

3,500,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Loan term

'15 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'15 years

'8 years

'5 years

'10 years

'15 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Long term debt

'

'

'

'

417,136,000

419,825,000

10,075,000

22,563,000

'

'

'

0

25,000,000

0

9,378,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debenture bond bearing interest percentage

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2.65%

3.50%

4.50%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debenture bond bearing interest Amount

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

4,500,000

3,700,000

3,800,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Minimum tangible net worth

'

'

'

'

300,000,000

'

27,000,000

'

33,000,000

36,000,000

40,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Current Ratio Net Of Hedged Inventory Maximum

'

'

'

'

125.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Current ratio net of hedged inventory minimum

'

'

'

'

100.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt to capitalized ratio maximum

'

'

'

'

70.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Asset coverage ratio minimum

'

'

'

'

75.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest coverage ratio maximum

'

'

'

'

275.00%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest Coverage Ratio Minimum

'

'

'

'

'1

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Aggregate annual maturities of long term debt, 2013

'

'

'

'

46,000,000

'

6,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Aggregate annual maturities of long term debt, 2014

'

'

'

'

86,100,000

'

3,100,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Aggregate annual maturities of long term debt, 2015

'

'

'

'

26,400,000

'

1,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Aggregate annual maturities of long term debt, 2016

'

'

'

'

46,800,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Aggregate annual maturities of long term debt, Year Five

'

'

'

'

51,900,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Aggregate annual maturities of long term debt there after

'

'

'

'

159,900,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Working capital

'

'

'

'

'

'

5,000,000

'

8,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt service coverage ratio

'

'

'

'

'

'

1.25

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Debt Instrument Covenant Compliance Debt Service Coverage Ratio Minimum

'

'

'

'

'

'

1

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Interest paid

$22,900,000

$21,700,000

$25,200,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Commitments_and_Contingencies_1

Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Lease income and rental expense from operating leases	'	'	'
Rental and service income-operating leases	$78,979	$77,916	$68,124
Rental expense	$13,751	$11,987	$16,303

Commitments_and_Contingencies_2

Commitments and Contingencies (Details 1) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Operating leases future minimum rentals and service income	'
Future Rental and Service Income - Operating Leases, 2014	$61,670
Future Rental and Service Income - Operating Leases, 2015	48,109
Future Rental and Service Income - Operating Leases, 2016	36,714
Future Rental and Service Income - Operating Leases, 2017	25,641
Future Rental and Service Income - Operating Leases, 2018	15,324
Future Rental and Service Income - Operating Leases, Future years	20,812
Future Rental and Service Income - Operating Leases, Total	208,270
Future Minimum Rental Payments, 2014	15,679
Future Minimum Rental Payments, 2015	15,120
Future Minimum Rental Payments, 2016	13,101
Future Minimum Rental Payments, 2017	10,658
Future Minimum Rental Payments, 2018	7,136
Future Minimum Rental Payments, Future years	10,410
Future Minimum Rental Payments, Total	$72,104

Commitments_and_Contingencies_3

Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
	Joint_Venture
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Gain related to litigation settlement	$3.50	'	'
Lease income per diem arrangements recognized	2	2.1	2.9
Management and service fees	7.9	3.8	2.8
Rental expense under agreements net	8.4	7.3	6.3
Future minimum lease payments, 2014	4.1	'	'
Future minimum lease payments, 2015	3.4	'	'
Future minimum lease payments, 2016	2.1	'	'
Future minimum lease payments, 2017	1.3	'	'
Future minimum lease payments, 2018	0.7	'	'
Future minimum lease payments, thereafter	0.2	'	'
Number of ethanol joint ventures	2	'	'
Periods of lease income renewals	'7 years 6 months	'	'
Operating lease income	$1.90	$1.90	$1.90

Business_Acquisition_Details

Business Acquisition (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 09, 2013	Aug. 05, 2013	Dec. 03, 2012	1-May-12	Oct. 30, 2012	Jan. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified					Cycle Group, Inc.	Mile Rail	Green Plains Grain Company	Amaizing Energy Denison LLC	Mt Pulaski	New Eezy Gro Inc
Business Acquisition [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Grain elevator	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	$14,285	'	'
Accounts receivable	'	'	'	'	'	'	19,174	'	'	'
Inventory	'	'	'	'	77	512	121,983	10,087	3,757	'
Other current assets	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	962	'	'
Current assets	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	5,106
Intangible assets	'	'	'	'	330	650	4,600	2,373	1,000	9,600
Goodwill	58,554	54,387	12,545	10,141	'	4,167	33,175	'	1,985	6,681
Property, plant and equipment	'	'	'	'	3,825	2,605	57,828	49,693	3,941	3,586
Commodity derivatives	'	'	'	'	'	'	4,701	'	'	'
Other assets	'	'	'	'	'	14	1,775	'	'	'
Accounts payable	'	'	'	'	'	'	-91,001	'	'	'
Current liabilities	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	3,784
Debt assumed	'	'	'	'	'	'	-29,632	'	'	'
Deferred tax liability, net	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	-4,412
Other liabilities	'	'	'	'	'	-144	-2,371	'	'	'
Total purchase price	'	'	'	'	$4,232	$7,804	$120,232	$77,400	$10,683	$16,777

Business_Acquisition_Details_1

Business Acquisition (Details 1) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 09, 2013

Dec. 09, 2013

Dec. 09, 2013

Dec. 09, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Aug. 05, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Aug. 05, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Aug. 05, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2012

Minimum

Maximum

Cycle Group, Inc.

Cycle Group, Inc.

Cycle Group, Inc.

Cycle Group, Inc.

Mile Rail

Mile Rail

Mile Rail

Mile Rail

Mile Rail

Mile Rail

Green Plains Grain Company

Green Plains Grain Company

Green Plains Grain Company

Green Plains Grain Company

Mt Pulaski

Mt Pulaski

Mt Pulaski

Mt Pulaski

Amaizing Energy Denison LLC

Amaizing Energy Denison LLC

Amaizing Energy Denison LLC

Amaizing Energy Denison LLC

Amaizing Energy Denison LLC

New Eezy Gro Inc

New Eezy Gro Inc

New Eezy Gro Inc

New Eezy Gro Inc

New Eezy Gro Inc

Customer relationships

Patents

Acquired non-compete agreement

Customer relationships

Customer relationships

Acquired non-compete agreement

Acquired non-compete agreement

Supplier relationships

Supplier relationships

Supplier relationships

Acquired customer list

Acquired non-compete agreement

Trademarks and technology

Lease intangible

Lease intangible

Lease intangible

Acquired non-compete agreement

Acquired customer list

Acquired non-compete agreement

Trademarks and technology

Technology

Minimum

Maximum

Minimum

Maximum

Intangible assets acquisition

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Amount

'

'

$330

$150

$125

$55

'

$650

'

$400

'

$250

$4,600

$4,600

'

'

$1,000

$600

$100

'

$2,373

$2,123

'

'

$250

$9,600

$5,500

$800

$1,200

$2,100

Intangible assets estimated useful life

'5 years

'10 years

'

'5 years

'5 years

'7 years

'

'

'5 years

'

'5 years

'

'

'

'3 years

'5 years

'

'10 years

'7 years

'

'

'

'10 months

'5 years

'2 years

'

'10 years

'7 years

'10 years

'5 years

Acquired indefinite-lived intangible asset

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$300

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Weighted average useful life

'

'

'5 years

[1]

'

'

'

'5 years

[1]

'

'

'

'

'

'4 years

'

'

'

'10 years

[1]

'

'

'

'3 years

[1]

'

'

'

'

'9 years

[1]

'10 years

'7 years

'10 years

'5 years

[1]

weighted average number of years

Business_Acquisition_Business_

Business Acquisition Business Acquisition (Details 2) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
				Green Plains Grain Company	Green Plains Grain Company	Green Plains Grain Company
Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information, Nonrecurring Adjustment [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'	'
Revenues	'	'	'	$40,477	'	'
Net income	95,702	75,565	96,825	-785	'	'
Supplemental pro forma revenue	'	'	'	'	566,821	585,572
Supplemental pro forma, Operating Income (Loss)	'	'	'	'	1,632	1,430
Combined entity pro forma, Revenue	'	5,798,354	5,161,903	'	'	'
Combined entity, Operating Income (Loss)	'	$122,550	$149,308	'	'	'

Business_Acquisition_Details_T

Business Acquisition (Details Textual) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

0 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2010

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2010

Dec. 09, 2013

Aug. 05, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Dec. 03, 2012

Mar. 31, 2012

Oct. 30, 2012

1-May-12

Jan. 31, 2012

Oct. 31, 2011

Grain

Grain

Grain

Grain

Cycle Group, Inc.

Mile Rail

Green Plains Grain Company

Green Plains Grain Company

Green Plains Grain Company

Mt Pulaski

Amaizing Energy Denison LLC

New Eezy Gro Inc

Immokalee Farmers Supply Inc

location

T

Grain

gal

bu

bu

Business Acquisition [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Total purchase price

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$4,232,000

$7,804,000

'

$120,232,000

'

$10,683,000

$77,400,000

$16,777,000

'

Year to date spending on acquisition of business

15,300,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Consideration transferred

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

7,800,000

'

120,200,000

'

10,700,000

'

'

'

Number of locations acquired

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill

58,554,000

54,387,000

12,545,000

10,141,000

38,165,000

38,165,000

4,990,000

4,207,000

'

4,167,000

'

33,175,000

'

1,985,000

'

6,681,000

'

Payable to acquiree outstanding at year end

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,300,000

'

'

'

'

'

Combined grain storage capacity (bushels)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

32,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

Nutrient storage (tons)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

12,000

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill, accounting adjustments

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

3,000,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Goodwill acquired

4,167,000

41,842,000

1,690,000

'

0

33,175,000

[1]

0

'

'

'

'

'

33,200,000

'

'

'

'

Capacity of ethanol facility (gallons)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

55,000,000

'

'

Capacity of grain terminal (bushels)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

2,700,000

'

'

Ownership interest in consolidated entity (percentage)

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

85.00%

100.00%

'

Fair value of noncontrolling interest

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

6,100,000

'

'

Purchase price of business acquired

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

16,800,000

3,000,000

Payable for future performance of acquired company

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$600,000

[1]

(a) The Grain acquisition balance has been revised to include the effect of the adjustments to the purchase price allocation in 2013. Discussed in Note 12. Business Acquisitions

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets2

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Changes in goodwill) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'	'		'
Goodwill at beginning of period	$54,387	$12,545		$10,141
Acquisitions	4,167	41,842		1,690
Other adjustments	'	'		714
Goodwill at end of period	58,554	54,387		12,545
Grain	'	'		'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'	'		'
Goodwill at beginning of period	38,165	4,990		4,207
Acquisitions	0	33,175	[1]	0
Other adjustments	'	'		783
Goodwill at end of period	38,165	38,165		4,990
Plant Nutrient	'	'		'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'	'		'
Goodwill at beginning of period	13,550	6,869		5,248
Acquisitions	0	6,681		1,690
Other adjustments	'	'		-69
Goodwill at end of period	13,550	13,550		6,869
Rail	'	'		'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'	'		'
Goodwill at beginning of period	0	0		0
Acquisitions	4,167	0		0
Other adjustments	'	'		0
Goodwill at end of period	4,167	0		0
Turf & Specialty	'	'		'
Goodwill [Roll Forward]	'	'		'
Goodwill at beginning of period	2,672	686		686
Acquisitions	0	1,986		0
Other adjustments	'	'		0
Goodwill at end of period	$2,672	$2,672		$686
[1]	(a) The Grain acquisition balance has been revised to include the effect of the adjustments to the purchase price allocation in 2013. Discussed in Note 12. Business Acquisitions

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets3

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Intangible Assets) (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	$39,493	$40,859
Accumulated Amortization	20,010	14,798
Net Book Value	19,483	26,061
Rail | Acquired customer list	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	3,862	3,462
Accumulated Amortization	3,421	3,362
Net Book Value	441	100
Rail | Acquired non-compete agreement	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	250	'
Accumulated Amortization	17	'
Net Book Value	233	'
Rail | Lease intangible	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	2,816	2,410
Accumulated Amortization	2,150	1,778
Net Book Value	666	632
Plant Nutrient | Acquired customer list	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	9,596	9,596
Accumulated Amortization	3,054	2,071
Net Book Value	6,542	7,525
Plant Nutrient | Acquired non-compete agreement	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	2,119	2,119
Accumulated Amortization	1,501	1,219
Net Book Value	618	900
Plant Nutrient | Acquired marketing agreement	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	1,607	1,607
Accumulated Amortization	1,228	1,029
Net Book Value	379	578
Plant Nutrient | Acquired supply agreement	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	4,846	4,846
Accumulated Amortization	2,477	1,959
Net Book Value	2,369	2,887
Plant Nutrient | Trademarks and technology	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	3,300	3,300
Accumulated Amortization	1,035	495
Net Book Value	2,265	2,805
Grain | Acquired customer list	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	5,850	8,450
Accumulated Amortization	2,286	717
Net Book Value	3,564	7,733
Grain | Acquired non-compete agreement	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	175	175
Accumulated Amortization	116	81
Net Book Value	59	94
Grain | Acquired supply agreement	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	340	340
Accumulated Amortization	0	0
Net Book Value	340	340
Grain | Acquired grower agreement	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	300	300
Accumulated Amortization	300	275
Net Book Value	0	25
Turf & Specialty | Acquired customer list	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	750	600
Accumulated Amortization	72	10
Net Book Value	678	590
Turf & Specialty | Acquired non-compete agreement	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	155	100
Accumulated Amortization	17	2
Net Book Value	138	98
Ethanol | Acquired non-compete agreement	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	250	250
Accumulated Amortization	209	84
Net Book Value	41	166
Ethanol | Lease intangible	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	2,123	2,123
Accumulated Amortization	1,716	1,230
Net Book Value	407	893
Various | Patents and other	'	'
Amortized intangible assets	'	'
Original Cost	1,154	1,181
Accumulated Amortization	411	486
Net Book Value	$743	$695

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets4

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'
Amortization expense for intangible assets	$5.30	$4.80	$2.80
Expected future annual amortization expense, 2014	4.7	'	'
Expected future annual amortization expense, 2015	3.8	'	'
Expected future annual amortization expense, 2016	3.1	'	'
Expected future annual amortization expense, 2017	2.5	'	'
Expected future annual amortization expense, 2018	$1.90	'	'

Income_Taxes_Details

Income Taxes (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current:	'	'	'
Federal	$11,812	$23,816	$39,015
State and local	225	3,492	5,603
Foreign	1,400	757	962
Foreign	13,437	28,065	45,580
Deferred:	'	'	'
Federal	35,147	14,808	5,281
State and local	4,321	1,982	553
Foreign	906	-287	-361
Total deferred income tax provision	40,374	16,503	5,473
Federal	46,959	38,624	44,296
State and local	4,546	5,474	6,156
Foreign	2,306	470	601
Total income tax expense	$53,811	$44,568	$51,053

Income_Taxes_Details_1

Income Taxes (Details 1) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Components of income before income taxes	'	'	'
U.S. income	$141,673	$119,325	$146,420
Foreign	7,840	808	1,458
Income before income taxes	$149,513	$120,133	$147,878

Income_Taxes_Details_2

Income Taxes (Details 2)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Effective tax rate reconciliation	'	'	'
Statutory U.S. federal tax rate	35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Increase (decrease) in rate resulting from:	'	'	'
Effect of qualified domestic production deduction	-0.40%	-0.80%	-1.60%
Effect of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act	0.90%	-0.60%	'
Effect of noncontrolling interest	-1.30%	1.10%	-0.40%
State and local income taxes, net of related federal taxes	2.00%	3.00%	2.70%
Other, net	-0.20%	-0.60%	-1.20%
Effective tax rate	36.00%	37.10%	34.50%

Income_Taxes_Details_3

Income Taxes (Details 3) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Deferred tax liabilities:	'	'
Property, plant and equipment and railcar assets leased to others	($110,472)	($85,556)
Prepaid employee benefits	-17,725	-16,490
Investments	-29,749	-23,180
Other	-5,426	-6,402
Total deferred tax liabilities	-163,372	-131,628
Deferred tax assets:	'	'
Employee benefits	36,593	45,400
Accounts and notes receivable	1,890	1,920
Inventory	6,605	4,800
Deferred expenses	689	11,540
Net operating loss carryforwards	631	654
Other	1,905	5,038
Total deferred tax assets	48,313	69,352
Valuation allowance	-92	'
Net deferred tax assets	48,221	69,352
Net deferred tax liabilities	($115,151)	($62,276)

Income_Taxes_Details_4

Income Taxes (Details 4) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Balance at beginning of year	$1,046	$635	$614
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	114	97	'
Reductions based on tax positions related to prior years	-45	415	43
Reductions as a result of a lapse in statute of limitations	-5	-101	-22
Balance at ending of year	$1,110	$1,046	$635

Income_Taxes_Details_Textual

Income Taxes (Details Textual) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'		'		'
Income taxes paid	$5,300,000		$36,300,000		$48,900,000
Deferred tax assets	631,000		654,000		'
Deferred tax asset related to U.S. foreign tax credit	500,000		2,900,000		'
Valuation allowance amount	0		0		'
Deferred other tax expense	1,400,000		'		'
Deferred income tax expense	40,374,000		16,503,000		5,473,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-21,181,000	[1]	-45,379,000	[1]	'
Amount from exercise of awards	0		'		'
Tax benefit realized from the exercise of awards	1,300,000		400,000		'
Interest and penalties accrued	200,000		100,000		'
Interest and penalties expense	-100,000		100,000		'
State	'		'		'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'		'		'
Operating loss carryforwards with expiration date	12,400,000		'		'
Deferred tax assets	500,000		'		'
Operating loss carryforwards valuation allowance	100,000		0		'
Operating loss carryforwards	'		600,000		'
Canadian	'		'		'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'		'		'
Deferred tax assets	100,000		'		'
Operating loss carryforwards valuation allowance	0		0		'
Operating loss carryforwards	400,000		'		'
Deferred tax asset with respect to Canadian net operating loss carryforwards	'		100,000		'
Retiree Health Care Plan Liability and Medicare Part D Subsidy Error | Restatement Adjustment	'		'		'
Income Taxes (Textual) [Abstract]	'		'		'
Deferred income tax expense	-1,400,000		'		'
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$1,400,000		'		'
[1]	All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits

Stock_Compensation_Plans_Detai

Stock Compensation Plans (Details) (SOSARs and Stock Options, USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
SOSARs and Stock Options	'	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Options & SOSARs outstanding at beginning of period, shares	473	'	'
Options exercised, Shares	-300	'	'
Options & SOSARs cancelled / forfeited, Shares	0	'	'
Options and SOSARs outstanding at end of period, shares	173	473	'
Vested and expected to vest at beginning of period, Shares	173	'	'
Options exercisable at end of period, Shares	173	'	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Options & SOSARs outstanding at beginning of period, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$19.10	'	'
Options exercised, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$20.90	'	'
Options & SOSARs cancelled / forfeited, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$0	'	'
Options and SOSARs outstanding at end of period, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$15.99	$19.10	'
Vested and expected to vest at end of period, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$15.99	'	'
Options exercisable at end of period, Weighted-Average Exercise Price	$15.99	'	'
Options and SOSARs outstanding at end of period, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term	'0 years 9 months 5 days	'	'
Vested and expected to vest at end of period, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	'0 years 9 months 5 days	'	'
Options exercisable at end of period, Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term	'0 years 9 months 5 days	'	'
Options and SOSARs outstanding at end of period, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$7,510	'	'
Vested and expected to vest at end of period, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	7,510	'	'
Options exercisable at end of period, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	7,510	'	'
Total intrinsic value of options exercised	4,678	1,937	3,817
Total fair value of shares vested	$576	$818	$816
Weighted average fair value of options granted	$0	$0	$0

Stock_Compensation_Plans_Detai1

Stock Compensation Plans (Details 1) (Restricted Stock Awards, USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Restricted Stock Awards	'	'	'
Summary of nonvested restricted shares	'	'	'
Nonvested restricted shares at beginning of period	180	'	'
Granted	60	'	'
Vested	-50	'	'
Forfeited	-2	'	'
Nonvested Shares at end of period	188	180	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value at beginning of period	$28.82	'	'
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Granted	$47.65	$28.99	$31.87
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Vested	$25.27	'	'
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Forfeited	$29.93	'	'
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value at end of period	$35.74	$28.82	'
Total fair value of shares vested (000's)	$1,121	$590	$1,367

Stock_Compensation_Plans_Detai2

Stock Compensation Plans (Details 2) (Performance Share Units, USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Performance Share Units	'	'	'
Summary of nonvested performance share units	'	'	'
Nonvested restricted shares at beginning of period	306	'	'
Nonvested Shares, Granted	-104	'	'
Vested	-54	'	'
Forfeited	-6	'	'
Nonvested Shares at end of period	350	306	'
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value [Roll Forward]	'	'	'
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value at beginning of period	$28.81	'	'
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Granted	$47.32	$28.99	$31.87
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Vested	$22.09	'	'
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value, Forfeited	$32.56	'	'
Nonvested Shares, Weighted-Average Grant-Date Fair Value at end of period	$35.27	$28.81	'

Stock_Compensation_Plans_Detai3

Stock Compensation Plans (Details 4) (Employee Stock)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Employee Stock	'	'	'
Fair value of the option component of the ESP Plan	'	'	'
Risk free interest rate	0.16%	0.11%	0.27%
Dividend yield	1.49%	1.37%	1.21%
Volatility factor of the expected market price of the Company's common shares	27.00%	41.00%	34.00%
Expected life for the options (in years)	'1 year	'1 year	'1 year

Stock_Compensation_Plans_Detai4

Stock Compensation Plans (Details Textual) (USD $)

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2008

6-May-05

Dec. 31, 2008

Dec. 31, 2007

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2011

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2013

6-May-05

Mar. 31, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Stock Only Stock Appreciation Rights

Stock Only Stock Appreciation Rights

SOSARs and Stock Options

Restricted Stock Awards

Performance Share Units

Performance Share Units

Performance Share Units

Performance Share Units

Employee Stock

Prior Plan

Grants Prior 2013

Grants in 2013

Executive Officer

Restricted Stock Awards

Restricted Stock Awards

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of shares authorized to grant under LT Plan

'

'

'

'

600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Number of shares remained available

637,500

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

285,000

639,000

'

'

Number of additional shares available under LT Plan

'

'

'

750,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Maximum term for options granted

'10 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Compensation expense recognized

$4,300,000

$4,000,000

$4,100,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Term of granting options to directors and management personnel

'

'

'

'

'

'5 years

'5 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

General vesting period of options granted

'

'

'

'

'

'3 years

'3 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'3 years

'2 years 3 months

Number of shares issued

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

60,168

'

'

'

103,272

'

'

'

'

Total unrecognized compensation cost

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$0

$3,200,000

$2,600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Period for recognition of compensation cost

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'2 years

'2 years

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Percentage of maximum amount available for issuance

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

100.00%

40.00%

50.00%

'

'

'

'

'

Term of Treasury issues

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'1 year

'

'

'

Quarterly_Consolidated_Financi2

Quarterly Consolidated Financial Information (Unaudited) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	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, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Sales and merchandising revenues	$1,584,266	$1,181,374	$1,566,964	$1,271,970	$1,680,641	$1,138,402	$1,315,834	$1,137,133	$5,604,574	$5,272,010	$4,576,331
Gross profit	109,577	73,146	103,229	79,273	91,169	78,316	102,650	85,870	365,225	358,005	352,852
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$30,661	$17,161	$29,539	$12,578	$14,990	$16,884	$29,199	$18,407	$89,939	$79,480	$95,106
Earnings per share-basic (in dollars per share)	$1.09	$0.61	$1.05	$0.45	$0.54	$0.61	$1.05	$0.66	$3.20	$2.85	$3.42
Earnings per share-diluted (in dollars per share)	$1.08	$0.61	$1.05	$0.45	$0.53	$0.60	$1.04	$0.65	$3.18	$2.82	$3.39

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv2

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]	'		'		'
Beginning Balance	($45,379)	[1]	'		'
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	24,537	[1]	'		'
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	-339	[1]	'		'
Other comprehensive income (loss)	24,198	[1]	-2,289		-14,291
Ending balance	-21,181	[1]	-45,379	[1]	'
Losses on Cash Flow Hedges	'		'		'
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]	'		'		'
Beginning Balance	-902	[1]	'		'
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	265	[1]	'		'
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	0	[1]	'		'
Other comprehensive income (loss)	265	[1]	'		'
Ending balance	-637	[1]	'		'
Investment in Debt Securities	'		'		'
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]	'		'		'
Beginning Balance	2,569	[1]	'		'
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	5,292	[1]	'		'
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	0	[1]	'		'
Other comprehensive income (loss)	5,292	[1]	'		'
Ending balance	7,861	[1]	'		'
Defined Benefit Plan Items	'		'		'
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]	'		'		'
Beginning Balance	-47,046	[1]	'		'
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	18,980	[1]	'		'
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	-339	[1]	'		'
Other comprehensive income (loss)	18,641	[1]	'		'
Ending balance	($28,405)	[1]	'		'
[1]	All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv3

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Schedule of Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Reclassifciations Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]	'		'	'
Income (loss) before income taxes	$149,513		$120,133	$147,878
Income tax benefit	-53,811		-44,568	-51,053
Net income	95,702		75,565	96,825
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	'		'	'
Schedule of Reclassifciations Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]	'		'	'
Net income	-339	[1]	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Items | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	'		'	'
Schedule of Reclassifciations Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]	'		'	'
Amortization of prior-service cost	-543	[1],[2]	'	'
Income (loss) before income taxes	-543	[1]	'	'
Income tax benefit	204	[1]	'	'
Net income	($339)	[1]	'	'
[1]	Amounts in parentheses indicate debits to profit/loss
[2]	This accumulated other comprehensive income component is included in the computation of net periodic benefit cost (see Note 6. Employee Benefit Plans footnote for additional details)

Subsequent_Events_Details

Subsequent Events (Details) (Subsequent Event, USD $)	0 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Feb. 18, 2014	Jan. 22, 2014	Jan. 21, 2014
		Lansing Trade Group, LLC	Lansing Trade Group, LLC
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'	'	'
Stock split, conversion ratio	1.5	'	'
Proceeds from sale of equity method investment	'	$60	'
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	'	40.00%	50.00%
Realized gain on disposal of LTG	'	17	'
Realized gain on disposal, net of tax	'	$11	'

Schedule_II_Consolidated_Valua1

Schedule II - Consolidated Valuation and Qualifying Accounts - K (Details) (Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	'		'		'
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]	'		'		'
Balance at beginning of period	$4,883		$4,799		$5,684
Charged to costs and expenses	1,187		1,129		187
Transferred from (to) allowance for accounts / notes receivable	0		46		46
Deductions	-1,077	[1]	-1,091	[1]	-1,118	[1]
Balance at end of period	$4,993		$4,883		$4,799
[1]	Uncollectible accounts written off, net of recoveries and adjustments to estimates for the allowance accounts.