The Andersons, Inc. (ANDE) 10-Q 8 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	Andersons, Inc.
Entity Central Index Key	821026
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		28.4

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$54,461		$114,704		$43,693
Restricted cash	685		429		652
Accounts receivable, net	209,928		183,059		191,972
Inventories (Note 2)	743,957		795,655		725,584
Commodity derivative assets – current	86,824		92,771		119,330
Deferred income taxes	12,878		7,337		9,104
Other current assets	65,017		60,492		48,214
Total current assets	1,173,750		1,254,447		1,138,549
Other assets:
Commodity derivative assets – noncurrent	243		507		1,365
Goodwill	72,365		72,365		58,554
Other assets, net	54,454		59,162		55,974
Pension asset	0		0		15,079
Equity method investments	222,082		226,857		232,396
Investments and Other Noncurrent Assets	349,144		358,891		363,368
Rail Group assets leased to others, net (Note 3)	313,095		297,747		237,534
Property, plant and equipment, net (Note 3)	451,638		453,607		386,132
Total assets	2,287,627		2,364,692		2,125,583
Current liabilities:
Short-term debt	311,660		2,166		226,100
Accounts payable for grain	206,153		535,974		183,998
Other accounts payable	164,224		170,849		177,623
Customer prepayments and deferred revenue	130,254		99,617		124,981
Commodity derivative liabilities – current	55,401		64,075		32,153
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	64,065		78,610		56,290
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 4)	19,037		76,415		90,760
Total current liabilities	950,794		1,027,706		891,905
Other long-term liabilities	14,871		15,507		14,749
Commodity derivative liabilities – noncurrent	2,084		3,318		734
Employee benefit plan obligations	59,557		59,308		39,989
Long-term debt, less current maturities (Note 4)	323,258		298,638		306,161
Deferred income taxes	139,145		136,166		128,716
Total liabilities	1,489,709		1,540,643		1,382,254
Commitments and contingencies (Note 13)
Shareholders’ equity:
Common shares, without par value (42,000 shares authorized; 29,430, 29,353 and 28,797 shares issued at 3/31/15, 12/31/14 and 3/31/14, respectively)	96		96		96
Preferred shares, without par value (1,000 shares authorized; none issued)	0		0		0
Additional paid-in-capital	223,179		222,789		184,474
Treasury shares, at cost (859, 390 and 378 shares at 3/31/15, 12/31/14 and 3/31/14, respectively)	-32,551		-9,743		-8,750
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-58,130	[1]	-54,595	[1]	-24,157	[1]
Retained earnings	644,530		644,556		567,849
Total shareholders’ equity of The Andersons, Inc.	777,124		803,103		719,512
Noncontrolling interests	20,794		20,946		23,817
Total equity	797,918		824,049		743,329
Total liabilities and equity	$2,287,627		$2,364,692		$2,125,583
[1]	All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (Unaudited) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Common shares, par value (dollars per share)	$0	$0	$0
Common shares, shares authorized (shares)	42,000,000	42,000,000	42,000,000
Common shares, shares issued (shares)	29,430,000	29,353,000	28,797,000
Preferred shares, par value (dollars per share)	$0	$0	$0
Preferred shares, shares authorized (shares)	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000
Preferred shares, shares issued (shares)	0	0	0
Treasury shares, at cost (shares)	859,000	390,000	378,000

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Sales and merchandising revenues	$950,090	$1,003,294
Cost of sales and merchandising revenues	866,777	926,519
Gross profit	83,313	76,775
Operating, administrative and general expenses	78,604	70,985
Interest expense	6,039	6,002
Other income:
Equity in earnings of affiliates, net	3,261	20,501
Other income, net	3,107	19,612
Income before income taxes	5,038	39,901
Income tax provision	1,093	13,872
Net income	3,945	26,029
Net (loss) income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	-152	3,321
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$4,097	$22,708
Per common share:
Basic earnings attributable to The Andersons, Inc. common shareholders (dollars per share)	$0.14	$0.80
Diluted earnings attributable to The Andersons, Inc. common shareholders (dollars per share)	$0.14	$0.80
Dividends declared (dollars per share)	$0.14	$0.11

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$3,945		$26,029
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Decrease in estimated fair value of investment in debt securities (net of income tax of $0 and $1,958)	0		-3,232
Change in unrecognized actuarial loss and prior service cost (net of income tax of $(236) and $(113) - Note 8)	390		187
Foreign currency translation adjustments (net of income tax of $(613) and $0)	-3,983		0
Cash flow hedge activity (net of income tax of $(35) and $(42))	58		69
Other comprehensive income (loss)	-3,535	[1]	-2,976	[1]
Comprehensive income	410		23,053
Comprehensive (loss) income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	-152		3,321
Comprehensive income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$562		$19,732
[1]	All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Increase in estimated fair value of investment in debt securities, tax expense (benefit)	$0	($1,958)
Unrecognized actuarial loss and prior service cost, tax expense (benefit)	236	113
Foreign currency translation adjustments, tax	-613	0
Income tax on cash flow hedge activity	$35	$42

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Operating activities
Net income	$3,945	$26,029
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	17,523	13,856
Bad debt expense	188	377
Cash distributions in excess of (less than) income of unconsolidated affiliates	1,404	45,061
Gain on sale of investments in affiliates	0	-17,055
Gains on sales of Rail Group assets and related leases	-4,522	-10,769
Excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement	-224	-1,608
Deferred income taxes	-3,446	6,264
Stock-based compensation expense	736	1,462
Other	890	-2,504
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	-28,366	-19,390
Inventories	51,698	-110,661
Commodity derivatives	-3,696	-86,842
Other assets	-4,042	-1,730
Accounts payable for grain	-329,821	-408,185
Other accounts payable and accrued expenses	11,074	67,082
Net cash used in operating activities	-286,659	-498,613
Investing Activities
Purchases of Rail Group assets	-23,455	-14,005
Proceeds from sale of Rail Group assets	12,851	25,465
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	-6,742	-5,523
Proceeds from sale of property, plant and equipment	80	108
Proceeds from returns of investments in affiliates	0	31,457
Change in restricted cash	-256	-244
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	-17,522	37,258
Financing Activities
Net change in short-term borrowings	308,500	226,100
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	30,799	3,598
Payments of long-term debt	-63,466	-30,560
Purchase of treasury stock	-27,783	0
Proceeds from sale of treasury shares to employees and directors	403	1,499
Payments of debt issuance costs	-107	-3,175
Dividends paid	-4,059	-3,107
Excess tax benefit from share-based payment arrangement	224	1,608
Other	-573	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	243,938	195,963
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	-60,243	-265,392
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	114,704	309,085
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$54,461	$43,693

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme4

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Equity (Unaudited) (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, 2013	$724,421		$96	$184,380	($10,222)	($21,181)	$548,401	$22,947
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	26,029						22,708	3,321
Other comprehensive (loss)	-2,976	[1]				-2,976
Cash distributions to noncontrolling interest	-2,451							-2,451
Stock awards, stock option exercises and other shares issued to employees and directors, net of income tax of $216 (162 shares) and $1,530 (214 shares) for the period Marc 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively	1,490			18	1,472
Payment of cash in lieu for stock split (187 shares)	-58			-58
Dividends declared ($0.14 and $0.11 per common share for the year Marc 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively)	-3,126						-3,126
Performance share unit dividend equivalents	0			134			-134
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2014	743,329		96	184,474	-8,750	-24,157	567,849	23,817
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	824,049		96	222,789	-9,743	-54,595	644,556	20,946
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income (loss)	3,945						4,097	-152
Other comprehensive (loss)	-3,535	[1]				-3,535
Stock awards, stock option exercises and other shares issued to employees and directors, net of income tax of $216 (162 shares) and $1,530 (214 shares) for the period Marc 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively	924			-4,051	4,975
Purchase of treasury shares (631 shares)	-27,783				-27,783
Dividends declared ($0.14 and $0.11 per common share for the year Marc 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively)	-3,985						-3,985
Shares issued for acquisitions (77 shares)	4,303			4,303
Performance share unit dividend equivalents	0			138			-138
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2015	$797,918		$96	$223,179	($32,551)	($58,130)	$644,530	$20,794
[1]	All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme5

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Equity (Parenthetical) (Unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Dividends declared, per common share	$0.14	$0.11
Additional Paid-in Capital
Income tax on stock option exercise and other shares issued to employees and directors	$216	$1,530
Stock option exercises and other shares issued to employees and directors, shares	162	214
Shares as a result of stock split	0	187
Shares issued in connection with acquisition	77
Retained Earnings
Dividends declared, per common share	$0.14	$0.11
Treasury Shares
Treasury shares purchased	631

Basis_of_Presentation_and_Cons

Basis of Presentation and Consolidation	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Consolidation	Basis of Presentation and Consolidation
	These Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of The Andersons, Inc. and its wholly owned and controlled subsidiaries (the “Company”). All 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 and recurring items, considered necessary for fair presentation of the results of operations, financial position, and cash flows for the periods indicated, have been made. The results in these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2015.
	The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet data at December 31, 2014 was derived from audited Consolidated Financial Statements, but does not include all disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. An unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2014 has been included as the Company operates in several seasonal industries.
	The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in The Andersons, Inc. Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 (the “2014 Form 10-K”).
	New Accounting Standards
	In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs. This standard requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the associated debt liability. The standard is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company is currently assessing the impact this standard will have on its Consolidated Financial Statements and disclosures.
	In February 2015, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2015-02, Consolidation (Topic 810) - Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis. This standard provides amendments to the manner in which companies assess the characteristics of variable interest entities. The standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The Company is currently assessing the impact this standard will have on its Consolidated Financial Statements and disclosures.
	In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09, Revenue From Contracts With Customers. The core principle of the new revenue model is that an entity recognizes revenue from the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The standard is currently effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, however, the FASB has tentatively extended the effective date for one year, pending final approval. The Company is currently assessing the method of adoption and the impact this standard will have on its Consolidated Financial Statements and disclosures.

Inventories

Inventories	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Inventory, Net [Abstract]
Inventories	Inventories
	Major classes of inventories are as follows:
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,		March 31,
		2015		2014		2014
	Grain	$	470,216	$	570,916	$	488,492
	Ethanol and by-products	9,940		13,154		17,658
	Plant nutrients and cob products	229,551		181,136		188,362
	Retail merchandise	27,311		23,810		26,205
	Railcar repair parts	6,739		6,431		4,661
	Other	200		208		206
		$	743,957	$	795,655	$	725,584
	Inventories on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets at March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014 do not include 1.8 million, 3.1 million and 5.6 million bushels of grain, respectively, held in storage for others. The Company does not have title to the grain and is only liable for any deficiencies in grade or shortage of quantity that may arise during the storage period. Management has not experienced historical losses on any deficiencies and does not anticipate material losses in the future.

Property_Plant_and_Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, Plant and Equipment
	The components of property, plant and equipment are as follows:
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,		March 31,
		2015		2014		2014
	Land	$	23,380	$	23,380	$	21,906
	Land improvements and leasehold improvements	73,651		71,817		67,876
	Buildings and storage facilities	274,877		275,059		234,109
	Machinery and equipment	340,109		333,559		309,283
	Software	68,193		55,436		13,403
	Construction in progress	18,354		29,620		52,200
		798,564		788,871		698,777
	Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	346,926		335,264		312,645
		$	451,638	$	453,607	$	386,132
	Depreciation and amortization expense on property, plant and equipment amounted to $12.4 million and $9.9 million for the year-to-date periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	Rail Group Assets
	The components of Rail Group assets leased to others are as follows:
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,		March 31,
		2015		2014		2014
	Rail Group assets leased to others	$	402,509	$	384,958	$	316,520
	Less: accumulated depreciation	89,414		87,211		78,986
		$	313,095	$	297,747	$	237,534
	Depreciation expense on Rail Group assets leased to others amounted to $4.0 million and $3.4 million for the year-to-date periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Debt

Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt
	The Company is party to borrowing arrangements with a syndicate of banks. See Note 10 in the Company’s 2014 Form 10-K for a description of these arrangements. Total borrowing capacity for the Company under all lines of credit is currently at $878.1 million, including $28.1 million of non-recourse debt of The Andersons Denison Ethanol LLC ("TADE"). At March 31, 2015, the Company had a total of $538.6 million available for borrowing under its lines of credit. Our borrowing capacity is reduced by a combination of outstanding borrowings and letters of credit. The Company was in compliance with all financial covenants as of March 31, 2015.
	The Company’s short-term and long-term debt at March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014 consisted of the following:
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,		March 31,
		2015		2014		2014
	Short-term debt – recourse	311,660		2,166		226,100
	Total short-term debt	$	311,660	$	2,166	$	226,100
	Current maturities of long-term debt – non-recourse	$	—	$	—	$	6,012
	Current maturities of long-term debt – recourse	19,037		76,415		84,748
	Total current maturities of long-term debt	$	19,037	$	76,415	$	90,760
	Long-term debt, less current maturities – non-recourse	$	—	$	—	$	3,288
	Long-term debt, less current maturities – recourse	323,258		298,638		302,873
	Total long-term debt, less current maturities	$	323,258	$	298,638	$	306,161
	In the first quarter of 2015, the Company entered into an agreement to obtain $30.0 million in senior notes payable. The notes payable include $14.0 million with an interest rate of 5.0% due 2040 and $16.0 million with an interest rate of 4.5% due 2030, subject to debt covenants similar to the Company's other borrowing arrangements. These notes payable partially replaced the $61.5 million note payable that matured in March 2015.

Derivatives

Derivatives	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivatives	Derivatives
	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 ("CME"). 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 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 margin deposit assets and liabilities are included in short-term commodity derivative assets or liabilities, as appropriate, in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
	The following table presents at March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014, 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 current or noncurrent commodity derivative assets (or liabilities) on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:
		March 31, 2015							December 31, 2014						March 31, 2014
	(in thousands)	Net				Net			Net			Net			Net			Net
		derivative				derivative			derivative			derivative			derivative			derivative
		asset				liability			asset			liability			asset			liability
		position				position			position			position			position			position
	Collateral paid (received)	$	39,521			$	—		$	79,646		$	—		$	142,791		$	—
	Fair value of derivatives	21,327				—			(10,981		)	—			(88,498		)	—
	Balance at end of period	$	60,848			$	—		$	68,665		$	—		$	54,293		$	—
	The following table presents, on a gross basis, current and noncurrent commodity derivative assets and liabilities:
		31-Mar-15
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	60,071			$	254		$	1,615		$	29		$	61,969
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(12,768		)		(11		)	(57,016		)	(2,113		)	(71,908		)
	Cash collateral	39,521				—			—			—			39,521
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	86,824			$	243		$	(55,401	)	$	(2,084	)	$	29,582
		31-Dec-14
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	49,847			$	545		$	6,123		$	118		$	56,633
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(36,722		)		(38		)	(70,198		)	(3,436		)	(110,394		)
	Cash collateral	79,646				—			—			—			79,646
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	92,771			$	507		$	(64,075	)	$	(3,318	)	$	25,885
		31-Mar-14
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	86,512			$	1,543		$	4,552		$	308		$	92,915
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(109,973		)		(178		)	(36,705		)	(1,042		)	(147,898		)
	Cash collateral	142,791				—			—			—			142,791
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	119,330			$	1,365		$	(32,153	)	$	(734	)	$	87,808
	The gains included in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and the line items in which they are located for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015				2014
	Gains (losses) on commodity derivatives included in sales and merchandising revenues	$	67,811			$	(53,686	)
	The Company had the following volume of commodity derivative contracts outstanding (on a gross basis) at March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014:
		31-Mar-15
	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	276,158			—			—		—
	Soybeans	29,646			—			—		—
	Wheat	13,232			—			—		—
	Oats	29,883			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			197,961			—		—
	Corn oil	—			—			5,651		—
	Other	339			—			—		116
	Subtotal	349,258			197,961			5,651		116
	Exchange traded:
	Corn	143,320			—			—		—
	Soybeans	38,555			—			—		—
	Wheat	26,675			—			—		—
	Oats	6,390			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			26,334			—		—
	Bean Oil	—			—			60,240		—
	Other	—			—			—		10
	Subtotal	214,940			26,334			60,240		10
	Total	564,198			224,295			65,891		126
		31-Dec-14
	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	265,574			—			—		—
Soybeans	23,820			—			—		—
Wheat	14,967			—			—		—
Oats	23,440			—			—		—
Ethanol	—			233,637			—		—
Corn oil	—			—			18,076		—
Other	28			—			—		139
Subtotal	327,829			233,637			18,076		139
Exchange traded:
Corn	159,575			—			—		—
Soybeans	31,265			—			—		—
Wheat	30,360			—			—		—
Oats	7,545			—			—		—
Ethanol	—			41,832			—		—
Bean oil	—			—			2,700		—
Other	—			—			—		5
Subtotal	228,745			41,832			2,700		5
Total	556,574			275,469			20,776		144
	31-Mar-14
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	274,762			—			—		—
Soybeans	29,332			—			—		—
Wheat	12,753			—			—		—
Oats	31,691			—			—		—
Ethanol	—			278,697			—		—
Corn oil	—			—			20,790		—
Other	207			—			—		110
Subtotal	348,745			278,697			20,790		110
Exchange traded:
Corn	197,405			—			—		—
Soybeans	20,810			—			—		—
Wheat	26,750			—			—		—
Oats	8,335			—			—		—
Ethanol	—			82,194			—		—
Subtotal	253,300			82,194			—		—
Total	602,045			360,891			20,790		110

Employee_Benefit_Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plans	Employee Benefit Plans
	In the fourth quarter of 2014, we began the process of terminating the funded defined benefit plan (the "Plan"), which will include settling the Plan liabilities by offering lump sum distributions to plan participants or purchasing annuity contracts for those who do not elect lump sums. While we expect to complete the termination in the near future, the timing is subject to regulatory approvals and other market factors. As part of the planned termination, in 2014 we adjusted our asset portfolio to a target asset allocation of 100% fixed income investments (up from 49%), which will provide a better matching of Plan assets to the characteristics of the liabilities. In the fourth quarter of 2014, we provided notice to plan participants of our intent to terminate the Plan and we applied for a determination with the Internal Revenue Service with regards to the termination. We will take further actions to minimize the volatility of the value of our pension assets relative to pension liabilities and to settle remaining Plan liabilities, including making such contributions to the Plan as may be necessary to make the Plan sufficient to settle all Plan liabilities.
	As of December 31, 2014, we have valued the projected benefit obligations of the Plan based on the present value of estimated costs to settle the liabilities through a combination of lump sum payments to participants and purchasing annuities from an insurance company.  This reflects an estimate of how many participants we expect will accept a lump sum offering, and an estimate of lump sum payouts for those participants based on the current lump sum rates approved by the IRS.  Liabilities expected to be settled through annuity contracts have been estimated based on future benefit payments, discounted based on current interest rates that correspond to the liability payouts, adjusted to reflect a premium that would be assessed by the insurer. As the liabilities are settled, unamortized losses in accumulated other comprehensive income will be recognized based on the projected benefit obligations and assets measured as of the dates the settlements occur. Based on rates as of December 31, 2014, the amount of unamortized losses in other comprehensive income that would result in a one-time noncash pre-tax charge was estimated at $64.6 million. Prior to settling the liabilities, we will contribute such additional amounts (estimated to be approximately $10.3 million at as of December 31, 2014) as may be necessary to fully fund the Plan. Such contributions are expected to be made concurrent with settling the liabilities but may be made earlier at our discretion. The impact of termination is subject to rate changes at the time of settlement. This termination does not yet constitute a settlement of liability under applicable accounting guidance for pension plans. The Company anticipates the conversion to individual annuity policies along with the liability discharge to occur in the near future. The defined benefit plan is included in the accompanying table for all periods presented.
	The following are components of the net periodic benefit cost for the pension and postretirement benefit plans maintained by the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
		Pension Benefits
	(in thousands)	Three months ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Service cost	$	55		$	43
	Interest cost	1,209			1,162
	Expected return on plan assets	(1,561		)	(1,905		)
	Recognized net actuarial loss	370			207
	Benefit cost (income)	$	73		$	(493	)
		Postretirement Benefits
	(in thousands)	Three months ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Service cost	$	240		$	187
	Interest cost	406			393
	Amortization of prior service cost	(136		)	(136		)
	Recognized net actuarial loss	392			229
	Benefit cost	$	902		$	673

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes
	On a quarterly basis, the Company estimates the effective tax rate expected to be applicable for the full year and makes changes if necessary based on new information or events. The estimated annual effective tax rate is forecast based on actual historical information and forward-looking estimates and is used to provide for income taxes in interim reporting periods. The Company also recognizes the tax impact of certain unusual or infrequently occurring items, such as the effects of changes in tax laws or rates and impacts from settlements with tax authorities, discretely in the quarter in which they occur. Additionally, the annual effective tax rate differs from the statutory U.S. Federal tax rate of 35% primarily due to the impact of state income taxes and income or losses attributable to non-controlling interests that do not impact the Company’s income tax provision.
	For the quarter ended March 31, 2015, the Company recorded income tax expense of $1.1 million at an effective tax rate of 21.7%, which varied from the U.S. Federal tax rate of 35% primarily due to a 12.2% non-recurring tax benefit attributable to the accounting for the investment in a foreign affiliate. For the quarter ended March 31, 2014, the Company recorded income tax expense of $13.9 million at an effective tax rate of 34.8%.
	There have been no material changes to the balance of unrecognized tax benefits reported at December 31, 2014. The Company’s consolidated Federal income tax returns for 2011 and 2012 are currently being audited by the IRS, and it is anticipated that the IRS will substantially complete its examination in 2015. The Company does not expect that the resolution of the examination will have a material effect on its effective tax rate.

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
	The following tables summarize the after-tax components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
	Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component (a)
				For the three months ended March 31, 2015
	(in thousands)			Losses on Cash Flow Hedges				Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Investment in Debt Securities			Defined Benefit Plan Items			Total
	Beginning Balance			$	(364	)		$	(4,709	)	$	126		$	(49,648	)	$	(54,595	)
		Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications		58				(3,983		)	—			475			(3,450		)
		Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss		—				—			—			(85		)	(85		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)			58				(3,983		)	—			390			(3,535		)
	Ending balance			$	(306	)		$	(8,692	)	$	126		$	(49,258	)	$	(58,130	)
	Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component (a)
				For the three months ended March 31, 2014
	(in thousands)			Losses on Cash Flow Hedges				Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Investment in Debt Securities			Defined Benefit Plan Items			Total
	Beginning Balance			$	(637	)		$	—		$	7,861		$	(28,405	)	$	(21,181	)
		Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications		69				—			(3,232		)	272			(2,891		)
		Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss		—				—			—			(85		)	(85		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)			69				—			(3,232		)	187			(2,976		)
	Ending balance			$	(568	)		$	—		$	4,629		$	(28,218	)	$	(24,157	)
	(a) All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits
	The following tables show the reclassification adjustments from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
	Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (a)
	(in thousands)		For the three months ended March 31, 2015
	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		$	(136	)		(b)
			(136		)		Total before tax
			51				Tax expense
			$	(85	)		Net of tax
	Total reclassifications for the period		$	(85	)		Net of tax
	Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (a)
	(in thousands)		For the three months ended March 31, 2014
	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		$	(136	)		(b)
			(136		)		Total before tax
			51				Tax expense
			$	(85	)		Net of tax
	Total reclassifications for the period		$	(85	)		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).

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
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 that was granted prior to March 2015 is considered a participating security since the share-based awards contain a non-forfeitable right to dividends irrespective of whether the awards ultimately vest.
	(in thousands, except per common share data)	Three months ended
		March 31,
		2015		2014
	Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$	4,097	$	22,708
	Less: Distributed and undistributed earnings allocated to nonvested restricted stock	8		104
	Earnings available to common shareholders	$	4,089	$	22,604
	Earnings per share – basic:
	Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	28,742		28,155
	Earnings per common share – basic	$	0.14	$	0.8
	Earnings per share – diluted:
	Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	28,742		28,155
	Effect of dilutive awards	59		69
	Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted	28,801		28,224
	Earnings per common share – diluted	$	0.14	$	0.8
	There were no antidilutive stock-based awards outstanding at March 31, 2015 or 2014.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements
	The following table presents the Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014:
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2015
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Cash equivalents	$	1,491	$	—		$	—	$	1,491
	Restricted cash	685		—			—		685
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	60,796		(31,214		)	—		29,582
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			13,300		13,300
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	11,583		(3,517		)	—		8,066
	Total	$	74,555	$	(34,731	)	$	13,300	$	53,124
	(in thousands)	December 31, 2014
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Cash equivalents	$	269	$	—		$	—	$	269
	Restricted cash	429		—			—		429
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	72,868		(46,983		)	—		25,885
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			13,300		13,300
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	10,869		(2,666		)	—		8,203
	Total	$	84,435	$	(49,649	)	$	13,300	$	48,086
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2014
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Cash equivalents	$	25,821	$	—		$	—	$	25,821
	Restricted cash	652		—			—		652
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	82,626		5,182			—		87,808
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			20,530		20,530
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	10,960		(951		)	—		10,009
	Total	$	120,059	$	4,231		$	20,530	$	144,820
	(a)	Includes associated cash posted/received as collateral
	(b)	Recorded in “Other noncurrent assets” on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
	(c)	Included in other assets and liabilities are deferred compensation assets (Level 1) and interest rate derivatives (Level 2)
	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 material 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 and market approaches on a quarterly 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. 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:
	(in thousands)	2015		2014
		Convertible Preferred Securities		Convertible Preferred Securities
	Asset at January 1,	$	13,300	$	25,720
	Unrealized gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	—		(5,190		)
	Asset at March 31,	13,300		20,530
	The following tables summarize quantitative information about the Company's Level 3 fair value measurements as of March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014:
	Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
	(in thousands)	Fair Value as of March 31, 2015		Valuation Method		Unobservable Input	Weighted Average
	Convertible Preferred Securities	$	13,300	Market Approach		EBITDA Multiples	6.61
				Income Approach		Discount Rate	14.5	%
	(in thousands)	Fair Value as of December 31, 2014		Valuation Method		Unobservable Input	Weighted Average
	Convertible Preferred Securities	$	13,300	Market Approach		EBITDA Multiples	7
				Income Approach		Discount Rate	14.5	%
	(in thousands)	Fair Value as of March 31, 2014		Valuation Method		Unobservable Input	Weighted Average
	Convertible Preferred Securities	$	20,530	Market Approach		EBITDA Multiples	7.75
				Income Approach		Discount Rate	14.5	%
	Fair Value of Financial Instruments
	The fair value of the Company’s long-term debt is estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows based on the Company’s current incremental borrowing rates for similar types of borrowing arrangements. As such, the Company has concluded that the fair value of long-term debt is considered Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy.
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,			March 31,
		2015		2014			2014
	Fair value of long-term debt, including current maturities	$	350,684	$	382,139		$	400,495
	Fair value in excess of carrying value	8,390		7,086			3,574
	The fair value of the Company’s cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximate their carrying value as they are close to maturity.

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
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.
	On January 22, 2014, the Company entered into an agreement with Lansing Trade Group, LLC ("LTG") for a partial redemption of the Company's investment in LTG for $60 million. At the time of redemption, the Company's interest in LTG reduced from approximately 47.5 percent to approximately 39.2 percent on a fully diluted basis. A portion of the proceeds ($28.5 million) was considered a distribution of earnings and reduced the Company's cost basis in LTG. The difference between the remaining proceeds of $31.5 million and the new cost basis of the shares sold, net of deal costs, resulted in a book gain of $17.1 million ($10.7 million after tax). This gain was recorded in Other income.
	The following table presents the Company’s investment balance in each of its equity method investees by entity:
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014				March 31, 2014
	The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	$	28,726			$	27,824			$	31,867
	The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	36,063				37,624				40,412
	The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	31,869				31,537				45,946
	Lansing Trade Group, LLC	78,594				78,696				60,837
	Thompsons Limited (a)	44,224				48,455				49,520
	Other	2,606				2,721				3,814
	Total	$	222,082			$	226,857			$	232,396
	(a) Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures
	The Company holds a majority interest (66%) in The Andersons Ethanol Investment LLC (“TAEI”). This consolidated entity holds a 50% interest in The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC (“TAME”). The noncontrolling interest in TAEI is attributed 34% of the gains and losses of TAME recorded by the Company in its equity in earnings of affiliates.
	The following table summarizes income earned from the Company’s equity method investments by entity:
		% ownership at		Three months ended
		31-Mar-15		March 31,
	(in thousands)			2015				2014
	The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	53%		$	1,091			$	4,943
	The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	38%		288				5,539
	The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	50%		333				8,135
	Lansing Trade Group, LLC	40% (a)		2,410				2,221
	Thompsons Limited (b)	50%		(861		)		(313		)
	Other	5%-34%		—				(24		)
	Total			$	3,261			$	20,501
	(a) This does not consider restricted management units which once vested will reduce 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 $4.6 million and $65.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	In the first quarter of 2015, LTG and The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC qualified as significant equity investees of the Company under the income test. The following table presents combined summarized unaudited financial information of these investments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015				2014
	Sales	$	1,699,063			$	1,944,106
	Gross Profit	47,659				41,124
	Income before income taxes	10,586				17,314
	Net income	9,345				14,885
	Net income attributable to the entities	8,343				14,632
	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 preference, redemption and conversion rights. 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 Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. The estimated fair value of the Company’s investment in IANR as of March 31, 2015 was $13.3 million. See Footnote 10 for additional discussion on the change in the investment value.
	The Company’s current maximum exposure to loss related to IANR is $21.6 million, which represents the Company’s investment at fair value plus unpaid accrued dividends of $8.3 million as of March 31, 2015. The Company does not have any obligations or commitments to provide additional financial support to IANR.
	Related Party Transactions
	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:
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015				2014
	Sales revenues	$	149,472			$	221,994
	Service fee revenues (a)	4,925				5,638
	Purchases of product	102,795				155,015
	Lease income (b)	1,663				1,664
	Labor and benefits reimbursement (c)	3,032				2,868
	Other expenses (d)	338				486
	(a)	Service fee revenues include management fees, corn origination fees, 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 various 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.
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014				March 31, 2014
	Accounts receivable (e)	$	13,507			$	25,049			$	30,609
	Accounts payable (f)	12,911				17,687				24,454
	(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.
	For the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, revenues recognized for the sale of ethanol that the Company purchased from the unconsolidated ethanol LLCs were $101.8 million and $144.3 million, respectively. For the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, revenues recognized for the sale of corn to the unconsolidated ethanol LLCs under these agreements were $96.7 million and $117.2 million, respectively.
	From time to time, the Company enters into derivative contracts with certain of its related parties for the purchase and sale of corn and ethanol, for similar price risk mitigation purposes and on similar terms as the purchase and sale of derivative contracts it enters into with unrelated parties. The fair value of derivative contract assets with related parties for as of March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014 was $2.4 million, $1.4 million and $24.0 million, respectively. The fair value of derivative contract liabilities with related parties as of March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014 was $0.3 million, $3.8 million and $10.3 million, respectively.

Segment_Information

Segment Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information
	The Company’s operations include five 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 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 is consolidated and three are investments accounted for under the equity method. There are various service contracts for these investments. Rail operations include the leasing, marketing and fleet management of railcars and other assets, railcar repair and metal fabrication. The Plant Nutrient business manufactures and distributes agricultural inputs, primarily fertilizer, to dealers and farmers, along with other 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 attributed to an operating segment.
	In the first quarter of 2015, the Plant Nutrient Group merged with the Turf & Specialty Group, as announced in the fourth quarter of 2014. Management has adjusted its internal reporting structure to reflect this organizational change and the result of this merger is one reportable business segment, referred to as the Plant Nutrient Group. All prior periods have been restated to reflect this change.
	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. The Company does not have any customers who represent 10 percent or more of total revenues.
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015			2014
	Revenues from external customers
	Grain	$	585,162		$	583,159
	Ethanol	138,180			188,820
	Plant Nutrient	153,951			151,355
	Rail	44,216			52,302
	Retail	28,581			27,658
	Total	$	950,090		$	1,003,294
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015			2014
	Inter-segment sales
	Grain	$	1,689		$	—
	Plant Nutrient	317			289
	Rail	181			109
	Total	$	2,187		$	398
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015			2014
	Income (loss) before income taxes
	Grain	$	743		$	11,306
	Ethanol	5,280			19,824
	Plant Nutrient	424			(36		)
	Rail	10,313			15,045
	Retail	(2,183		)	(2,335		)
	Other	(9,387		)	(7,224		)
	Noncontrolling interests	(152		)	3,321
	Total	$	5,038		$	39,901
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014			March 31, 2014
	Identifiable assets
	Grain	$	1,022,753		$	1,137,437		$	979,608
	Ethanol	200,095			197,888			224,931
	Plant Nutrient	496,906			433,013			421,757
	Rail	381,909			365,531			303,532
	Retail	47,413			44,536			47,710
	Other	138,551			186,287			148,045
	Total	$	2,287,627		$	2,364,692		$	2,125,583

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies
	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 additional expense. 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.
	The estimated range of loss for all outstanding claims that are considered reasonably possible of occurring is not material. The Company has received and is cooperating fully with a request for information from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (“U.S. EPA”) regarding the history of the 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 the initial acquisition of the land in 1960. The Company has 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 the 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.

Supplemental_Cash_Flow_Informa

Supplemental Cash Flow Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Supplemental Cash Flow Information	Supplemental Cash Flow Information
	Certain supplemental cash flow information, including noncash investing and financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015		2014
	Noncash investing and financing activity
	Capital projects incurred but not yet paid	$	3,710	$	4,020
	Purchase of a productive asset through seller-financing	1,010		2,562
	Shares issued for acquisition of business	4,303		—
	Dividends declared not yet paid	3,985		3,126

Business_Acquisitions

Business Acquisitions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Business Combinations	Business Acquisitions
	There were no business acquisitions completed through the first quarter of 2015.
	Prior Years Business Acquisitions
	On October 7, 2014, the Company purchased Auburn Bean and Grain, which included six grain and four agronomy assets. The Company acquired 100% of the outstanding shares of Auburn Bean and Grain, in related transactions valued at an aggregate purchase price of $60.9 million. The purchase occurred in two transactions. For the shares of Auburn Bean and Grain, the Company paid $5.0 million in cash and approximately 637 thousand unregistered shares of the Company's common stock, valued at $35.5 million. Included in these amounts are approximately 80 thousand shares, valued at $4.5 million for an adjustment to working capital paid in 2015. The Company also paid $20.4 million in cash for certain facilities previously leased by Auburn Bean and Grain. The purchase provides combined grain storage capacity of approximately: 18.1 million bushels, 16.0 thousand tons of dry and 3.7 million gallons of liquid nutrient capacity. The purchase price allocation was finalized in the first quarter of 2015 with no changes noted from December 31, 2014.
	The Company also completed various individually insignificant acquisitions in 2014 for a combined purchase price of $7.2 million. The purchase price allocations were finalized in the first quarter of 2015 with no changes noted from December 31, 2014.

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Inventory, Net [Abstract]
Classes of inventories	Major classes of inventories are as follows:
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,		March 31,
		2015		2014		2014
	Grain	$	470,216	$	570,916	$	488,492
	Ethanol and by-products	9,940		13,154		17,658
	Plant nutrients and cob products	229,551		181,136		188,362
	Retail merchandise	27,311		23,810		26,205
	Railcar repair parts	6,739		6,431		4,661
	Other	200		208		206
		$	743,957	$	795,655	$	725,584

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_T

Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Components of property, plant and equipment	The components of property, plant and equipment are as follows:
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,		March 31,
		2015		2014		2014
	Land	$	23,380	$	23,380	$	21,906
	Land improvements and leasehold improvements	73,651		71,817		67,876
	Buildings and storage facilities	274,877		275,059		234,109
	Machinery and equipment	340,109		333,559		309,283
	Software	68,193		55,436		13,403
	Construction in progress	18,354		29,620		52,200
		798,564		788,871		698,777
	Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	346,926		335,264		312,645
		$	451,638	$	453,607	$	386,132
Components of railcar assets leased to others	The components of Rail Group assets leased to others are as follows:
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,		March 31,
		2015		2014		2014
	Rail Group assets leased to others	$	402,509	$	384,958	$	316,520
	Less: accumulated depreciation	89,414		87,211		78,986
		$	313,095	$	297,747	$	237,534

Debt_Tables

Debt (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-term debt	The Company’s short-term and long-term debt at March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014 consisted of the following:
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,		March 31,
		2015		2014		2014
	Short-term debt – recourse	311,660		2,166		226,100
	Total short-term debt	$	311,660	$	2,166	$	226,100
	Current maturities of long-term debt – non-recourse	$	—	$	—	$	6,012
	Current maturities of long-term debt – recourse	19,037		76,415		84,748
	Total current maturities of long-term debt	$	19,037	$	76,415	$	90,760
	Long-term debt, less current maturities – non-recourse	$	—	$	—	$	3,288
	Long-term debt, less current maturities – recourse	323,258		298,638		302,873
	Total long-term debt, less current maturities	$	323,258	$	298,638	$	306,161

Derivatives_Tables

Derivatives (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
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 current or noncurrent commodity derivative assets (or liabilities) on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets:
		March 31, 2015							December 31, 2014						March 31, 2014
	(in thousands)	Net				Net			Net			Net			Net			Net
		derivative				derivative			derivative			derivative			derivative			derivative
		asset				liability			asset			liability			asset			liability
		position				position			position			position			position			position
	Collateral paid (received)	$	39,521			$	—		$	79,646		$	—		$	142,791		$	—
	Fair value of derivatives	21,327				—			(10,981		)	—			(88,498		)	—
	Balance at end of period	$	60,848			$	—		$	68,665		$	—		$	54,293		$	—
Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value	The following table presents, on a gross basis, current and noncurrent commodity derivative assets and liabilities:
		31-Mar-15
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	60,071			$	254		$	1,615		$	29		$	61,969
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(12,768		)		(11		)	(57,016		)	(2,113		)	(71,908		)
	Cash collateral	39,521				—			—			—			39,521
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	86,824			$	243		$	(55,401	)	$	(2,084	)	$	29,582
		31-Dec-14
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	49,847			$	545		$	6,123		$	118		$	56,633
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(36,722		)		(38		)	(70,198		)	(3,436		)	(110,394		)
	Cash collateral	79,646				—			—			—			79,646
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	92,771			$	507		$	(64,075	)	$	(3,318	)	$	25,885
		31-Mar-14
	(in thousands)	Commodity derivative assets - current				Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent			Commodity derivative liabilities - current			Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent			Total
	Commodity derivative assets	$	86,512			$	1,543		$	4,552		$	308		$	92,915
	Commodity derivative liabilities	(109,973		)		(178		)	(36,705		)	(1,042		)	(147,898		)
	Cash collateral	142,791				—			—			—			142,791
	Balance sheet line item totals	$	119,330			$	1,365		$	(32,153	)	$	(734	)	$	87,808
Company's Condensed Consolidated Statement of Income gains and location of line items	The gains included in the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and the line items in which they are located for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015				2014
	Gains (losses) on commodity derivatives included in sales and merchandising revenues	$	67,811			$	(53,686	)
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts	The Company had the following volume of commodity derivative contracts outstanding (on a gross basis) at March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014:
		31-Mar-15
	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	276,158			—			—		—
	Soybeans	29,646			—			—		—
	Wheat	13,232			—			—		—
	Oats	29,883			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			197,961			—		—
	Corn oil	—			—			5,651		—
	Other	339			—			—		116
	Subtotal	349,258			197,961			5,651		116
	Exchange traded:
	Corn	143,320			—			—		—
	Soybeans	38,555			—			—		—
	Wheat	26,675			—			—		—
	Oats	6,390			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			26,334			—		—
	Bean Oil	—			—			60,240		—
	Other	—			—			—		10
	Subtotal	214,940			26,334			60,240		10
	Total	564,198			224,295			65,891		126
		31-Dec-14
	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	265,574			—			—		—
	Soybeans	23,820			—			—		—
	Wheat	14,967			—			—		—
	Oats	23,440			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			233,637			—		—
	Corn oil	—			—			18,076		—
	Other	28			—			—		139
	Subtotal	327,829			233,637			18,076		139
	Exchange traded:
	Corn	159,575			—			—		—
	Soybeans	31,265			—			—		—
	Wheat	30,360			—			—		—
	Oats	7,545			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			41,832			—		—
	Bean oil	—			—			2,700		—
	Other	—			—			—		5
	Subtotal	228,745			41,832			2,700		5
	Total	556,574			275,469			20,776		144
		31-Mar-14
	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	274,762			—			—		—
	Soybeans	29,332			—			—		—
	Wheat	12,753			—			—		—
	Oats	31,691			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			278,697			—		—
	Corn oil	—			—			20,790		—
	Other	207			—			—		110
	Subtotal	348,745			278,697			20,790		110
	Exchange traded:
	Corn	197,405			—			—		—
	Soybeans	20,810			—			—		—
	Wheat	26,750			—			—		—
	Oats	8,335			—			—		—
	Ethanol	—			82,194			—		—
	Subtotal	253,300			82,194			—		—
Total	602,045			360,891			20,790		110

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Tables

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Pension Benefits
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures	The following are components of the net periodic benefit cost for the pension and postretirement benefit plans maintained by the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
		Pension Benefits
	(in thousands)	Three months ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Service cost	$	55		$	43
	Interest cost	1,209			1,162
	Expected return on plan assets	(1,561		)	(1,905		)
	Recognized net actuarial loss	370			207
	Benefit cost (income)	$	73		$	(493	)
Postretirement Benefits
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures
		Postretirement Benefits
	(in thousands)	Three months ended
		March 31,
		2015			2014
	Service cost	$	240		$	187
	Interest cost	406			393
	Amortization of prior service cost	(136		)	(136		)
	Recognized net actuarial loss	392			229
	Benefit cost	$	902		$	673

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv1

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	The following tables summarize the after-tax components of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to the Company for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
	Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component (a)
				For the three months ended March 31, 2015
	(in thousands)			Losses on Cash Flow Hedges				Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Investment in Debt Securities			Defined Benefit Plan Items			Total
	Beginning Balance			$	(364	)		$	(4,709	)	$	126		$	(49,648	)	$	(54,595	)
		Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications		58				(3,983		)	—			475			(3,450		)
		Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss		—				—			—			(85		)	(85		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)			58				(3,983		)	—			390			(3,535		)
	Ending balance			$	(306	)		$	(8,692	)	$	126		$	(49,258	)	$	(58,130	)
	Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component (a)
				For the three months ended March 31, 2014
	(in thousands)			Losses on Cash Flow Hedges				Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Investment in Debt Securities			Defined Benefit Plan Items			Total
	Beginning Balance			$	(637	)		$	—		$	7,861		$	(28,405	)	$	(21,181	)
		Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications		69				—			(3,232		)	272			(2,891		)
		Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss		—				—			—			(85		)	(85		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)			69				—			(3,232		)	187			(2,976		)
	Ending balance			$	(568	)		$	—		$	4,629		$	(28,218	)	$	(24,157	)
	(a) All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	The following tables show the reclassification adjustments from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
	Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (a)
	(in thousands)		For the three months ended March 31, 2015
	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		$	(136	)		(b)
			(136		)		Total before tax
			51				Tax expense
			$	(85	)		Net of tax
	Total reclassifications for the period		$	(85	)		Net of tax
	Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (a)
	(in thousands)		For the three months ended March 31, 2014
	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		$	(136	)		(b)
			(136		)		Total before tax
			51				Tax expense
			$	(85	)		Net of tax
	Total reclassifications for the period		$	(85	)		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).

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings per share
	(in thousands, except per common share data)	Three months ended
		March 31,
		2015		2014
	Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$	4,097	$	22,708
	Less: Distributed and undistributed earnings allocated to nonvested restricted stock	8		104
	Earnings available to common shareholders	$	4,089	$	22,604
	Earnings per share – basic:
	Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	28,742		28,155
	Earnings per common share – basic	$	0.14	$	0.8
	Earnings per share – diluted:
	Weighted average shares outstanding – basic	28,742		28,155
	Effect of dilutive awards	59		69
	Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted	28,801		28,224
	Earnings per common share – diluted	$	0.14	$	0.8

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
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 measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014:
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2015
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Cash equivalents	$	1,491	$	—		$	—	$	1,491
	Restricted cash	685		—			—		685
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	60,796		(31,214		)	—		29,582
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			13,300		13,300
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	11,583		(3,517		)	—		8,066
	Total	$	74,555	$	(34,731	)	$	13,300	$	53,124
	(in thousands)	December 31, 2014
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Cash equivalents	$	269	$	—		$	—	$	269
	Restricted cash	429		—			—		429
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	72,868		(46,983		)	—		25,885
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			13,300		13,300
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	10,869		(2,666		)	—		8,203
	Total	$	84,435	$	(49,649	)	$	13,300	$	48,086
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2014
	Assets (liabilities)	Level 1		Level 2			Level 3		Total
	Cash equivalents	$	25,821	$	—		$	—	$	25,821
	Restricted cash	652		—			—		652
	Commodity derivatives, net (a)	82,626		5,182			—		87,808
	Convertible preferred securities (b)	—		—			20,530		20,530
	Other assets and liabilities (c)	10,960		(951		)	—		10,009
	Total	$	120,059	$	4,231		$	20,530	$	144,820
	(a)	Includes associated cash posted/received as collateral
	(b)	Recorded in “Other noncurrent assets” on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
	(c)	Included in other assets and liabilities are deferred compensation assets (Level 1) and interest rate derivatives (Level 2)
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:
	(in thousands)	2015		2014
		Convertible Preferred Securities		Convertible Preferred Securities
	Asset at January 1,	$	13,300	$	25,720
	Unrealized gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	—		(5,190		)
	Asset at March 31,	13,300		20,530
Fair Value Inputs, Assets, Quantitative Information	The following tables summarize quantitative information about the Company's Level 3 fair value measurements as of March 31, 2015, December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2014:
	Quantitative Information about Level 3 Fair Value Measurements
	(in thousands)	Fair Value as of March 31, 2015		Valuation Method		Unobservable Input	Weighted Average
	Convertible Preferred Securities	$	13,300	Market Approach		EBITDA Multiples	6.61
				Income Approach		Discount Rate	14.5	%
	(in thousands)	Fair Value as of December 31, 2014		Valuation Method		Unobservable Input	Weighted Average
	Convertible Preferred Securities	$	13,300	Market Approach		EBITDA Multiples	7
				Income Approach		Discount Rate	14.5	%
	(in thousands)	Fair Value as of March 31, 2014		Valuation Method		Unobservable Input	Weighted Average
	Convertible Preferred Securities	$	20,530	Market Approach		EBITDA Multiples	7.75
				Income Approach		Discount Rate	14.5	%
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows
	(in thousands)	March 31,		December 31,			March 31,
		2015		2014			2014
	Fair value of long-term debt, including current maturities	$	350,684	$	382,139		$	400,495
	Fair value in excess of carrying value	8,390		7,086			3,574

Related_Party_Transactions_Tab

Related Party Transactions (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
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:
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014				March 31, 2014
	The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	$	28,726			$	27,824			$	31,867
	The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	36,063				37,624				40,412
	The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	31,869				31,537				45,946
	Lansing Trade Group, LLC	78,594				78,696				60,837
	Thompsons Limited (a)	44,224				48,455				49,520
	Other	2,606				2,721				3,814
	Total	$	222,082			$	226,857			$	232,396
	(a) Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures
	In the first quarter of 2015, LTG and The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC qualified as significant equity investees of the Company under the income test. The following table presents combined summarized unaudited financial information of these investments for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014:
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015				2014
	Sales	$	1,699,063			$	1,944,106
	Gross Profit	47,659				41,124
	Income before income taxes	10,586				17,314
	Net income	9,345				14,885
	Net income attributable to the entities	8,343				14,632
Income (loss) earned from the Company's equity method investments by entity	The following table summarizes income earned from the Company’s equity method investments by entity:
		% ownership at		Three months ended
		31-Mar-15		March 31,
	(in thousands)			2015				2014
	The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC	53%		$	1,091			$	4,943
	The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC	38%		288				5,539
	The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC	50%		333				8,135
	Lansing Trade Group, LLC	40% (a)		2,410				2,221
	Thompsons Limited (b)	50%		(861		)		(313		)
	Other	5%-34%		—				(24		)
	Total			$	3,261			$	20,501
	(a) This does not consider restricted management units which once vested will reduce the ownership percentage by approximately 1.5%
	(b) Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures
Schedule of aggregate summarized financial information of subsidiaries	The following table sets forth the related party transactions entered into for the time periods presented:
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015				2014
	Sales revenues	$	149,472			$	221,994
	Service fee revenues (a)	4,925				5,638
	Purchases of product	102,795				155,015
	Lease income (b)	1,663				1,664
	Labor and benefits reimbursement (c)	3,032				2,868
	Other expenses (d)	338				486
	(a)	Service fee revenues include management fees, corn origination fees, 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 various 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.
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2015				December 31, 2014				March 31, 2014
	Accounts receivable (e)	$	13,507			$	25,049			$	30,609
	Accounts payable (f)	12,911				17,687				24,454
	(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.

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015			2014
	Revenues from external customers
	Grain	$	585,162		$	583,159
	Ethanol	138,180			188,820
	Plant Nutrient	153,951			151,355
	Rail	44,216			52,302
	Retail	28,581			27,658
	Total	$	950,090		$	1,003,294
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015			2014
	Inter-segment sales
	Grain	$	1,689		$	—
	Plant Nutrient	317			289
	Rail	181			109
	Total	$	2,187		$	398
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015			2014
	Income (loss) before income taxes
	Grain	$	743		$	11,306
	Ethanol	5,280			19,824
	Plant Nutrient	424			(36		)
	Rail	10,313			15,045
	Retail	(2,183		)	(2,335		)
	Other	(9,387		)	(7,224		)
	Noncontrolling interests	(152		)	3,321
	Total	$	5,038		$	39,901
	(in thousands)	March 31, 2015			December 31, 2014			March 31, 2014
	Identifiable assets
	Grain	$	1,022,753		$	1,137,437		$	979,608
	Ethanol	200,095			197,888			224,931
	Plant Nutrient	496,906			433,013			421,757
	Rail	381,909			365,531			303,532
	Retail	47,413			44,536			47,710
	Other	138,551			186,287			148,045
	Total	$	2,287,627		$	2,364,692		$	2,125,583

Supplemental_Cash_Flow_Informa1

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]
Schedule of Cash Flow Supplemental Information	Certain supplemental cash flow information, including noncash investing and financing activities for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 are as follows:
		Three months ended
		March 31,
	(in thousands)	2015		2014
	Noncash investing and financing activity
	Capital projects incurred but not yet paid	$	3,710	$	4,020
	Purchase of a productive asset through seller-financing	1,010		2,562
	Shares issued for acquisition of business	4,303		—
	Dividends declared not yet paid	3,985		3,126

Inventories_Details

Inventories (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	bu	bu	bu
Inventory, Net [Abstract]
Grain	$470,216	$570,916	$488,492
Ethanol and by-products	9,940	13,154	17,658
Plant nutrients and cob products	229,551	181,136	188,362
Retail merchandise	27,311	23,810	26,205
Railcar repair parts	6,739	6,431	4,661
Other	200	208	206
Total inventories	$743,957	$795,655	$725,584
Bushels of grain held in storage and excluded from inventory calculations	1,800,000	3,100,000	5,600,000

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_D

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Components of property, plant and equipment
Land	$23,380	$23,380	$21,906
Land improvements and leasehold improvements	73,651	71,817	67,876
Buildings and storage facilities	274,877	275,059	234,109
Machinery and equipment	340,109	333,559	309,283
Software	68,193	55,436	13,403
Construction in progress	18,354	29,620	52,200
Property, plant and equipment, gross	798,564	788,871	698,777
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization	346,926	335,264	312,645
Property, plant and equipment, net	$451,638	$453,607	$386,132

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_D1

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details 1) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Components of Railcar assets leased to others
Railcar assets leased to others	$402,509	$384,958	$316,520
Less: accumulated depreciation	89,414	87,211	78,986
Railcar assets leased to others, net	$313,095	$297,747	$237,534

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_D2

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Nonproduction	$12.40	$9.90
Depreciation expense on railcar assets leased to others	$4	$3.40

Debt_Details

Debt (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt	$311,660	$2,166	$226,100
Long-term debt
Total current maturities of long-term debt	19,037	76,415	90,760
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	323,258	298,638	306,161
Nonrecourse
Long-term debt
Total current maturities of long-term debt	0	0	6,012
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	0	0	3,288
Recourse
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Short-term debt	311,660	2,166	226,100
Long-term debt
Total current maturities of long-term debt	19,037	76,415	84,748
Total long-term debt, less current maturities	$323,258	$298,638	$302,873

Debt_Details_Textual

Debt (Details Textual) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Notes payable, agreement amount	$30
Notes payable	61.5
Notes payable, due 2040
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Notes payable, agreement amount	14
Interest rate of debt instruments	5.00%
Notes payable, due 2030
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Notes payable, agreement amount	16
Interest rate of debt instruments	4.50%
Line of credit
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Total borrowing capacity under lines of credit	878.1
Total available for borrowings under lines of credit	538.6
Line of credit | Secured Debt
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Total borrowing capacity under lines of credit	$28.10

Derivatives_Details

Derivatives (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
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 (received)	$39,521	$79,646	$142,791
Net derivative asset position, Fair value of derivatives	21,327	-10,981	-88,498
Net derivative asset position, net	60,848	68,665	54,293
Net derivative liability position, Collateral paid	0	0	0
Net derivative liability position, Fair value of derivatives	0	0	0
Net derivative liability position, net	$0	$0	$0

Derivatives_Details_1

Derivatives (Details 1) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Commodity derivative assets	$21,327	($10,981)	($88,498)
Commodity derivative liabilities	0	0	0
Commodity derivative assets - current	86,824	92,771	119,330
Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent	243	507	1,365
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	-55,401	-64,075	-32,153
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent	-2,084	-3,318	-734
Commodity
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Commodity derivative assets	61,969	56,633	92,915
Commodity derivative liabilities	-71,908	-110,394	-147,898
Cash collateral	39,521	79,646	142,791
Total	29,582	25,885	87,808
Commodity | Commodity derivative assets - current
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Commodity derivative assets	60,071	49,847	86,512
Commodity derivative liabilities	-12,768	-36,722	-109,973
Cash collateral	39,521	79,646	142,791
Commodity derivative assets - current	86,824	92,771	119,330
Commodity | Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Commodity derivative assets	254	545	1,543
Commodity derivative liabilities	-11	-38	-178
Cash collateral	0	0	0
Commodity derivative assets - noncurrent	243	507	1,365
Commodity | Commodity derivative liabilities - current
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Commodity derivative assets	1,615	6,123	4,552
Commodity derivative liabilities	-57,016	-70,198	-36,705
Cash collateral	0	0	0
Commodity derivative liabilities - current	-55,401	-64,075	-32,153
Commodity | Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Commodity derivative assets	29	118	308
Commodity derivative liabilities	-2,113	-3,436	-1,042
Cash collateral	0	0	0
Commodity derivative liabilities - noncurrent	($2,084)	($3,318)	($734)

Derivatives_Details_2

Derivatives (Details 2) (Sales, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Sales
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gains (losses) on commodity derivatives included in sales and merchandising revenues	$67,811	($53,686)

Derivatives_Details_3

Derivatives (Details 3)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
	T	bu	bu
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	126,000	556,574,000	602,045,000
Non-exchange Traded
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	116,000	327,829,000	278,697,000
Non-exchange Traded | Corn
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	276,158,000	0	0
Non-exchange Traded | Soybeans
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0	0
Non-exchange Traded | Wheat
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	13,232,000	0	0
Non-exchange Traded | Oats
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0	0
Non-exchange Traded | Ethanol
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0	278,697,000
Non-exchange Traded | Corn Oil
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	18,076,000	0
Non-exchange Traded | Other
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	139,000	207,000
Exchange Traded
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	214,940,000	228,745,000	82,194,000
Exchange Traded | Corn
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	143,320,000	0	0
Exchange Traded | Soybeans
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0	0
Exchange Traded | Wheat
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0	0
Exchange Traded | Oats
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	0	0	0
Exchange Traded | Ethanol
Amounts of quantities outstanding included in commodity derivative contracts
Nonmonetary notional amount	26,334,000	0	0
Exchange Traded | Bean Oil
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	0

Derivatives_Details_Textual

Derivatives (Details Textual)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Derivatives (Textual) [Abstract]
Maximum period in which contracts for the sale of grain to processors or other consumers extend (years)	1 year

Employee_Benefit_Plans_Details

Employee Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Employee Benefit Plans [Line Items]
Target asset allocation, fixed income investments, percentage	100.00%	49.00%
Amount of unamortized losses in other comprehensive income	$64,600,000
Additional company contributions to settle pension obligation	10,300,000
Pension Benefits
Components of the net periodic benefit cost
Service cost			55,000	43,000
Interest cost			1,209,000	1,162,000
Expected return on plan assets			-1,561,000	-1,905,000
Recognized net actuarial loss			370,000	207,000
Benefit cost (income)			73,000	-493,000
Postretirement Benefits
Components of the net periodic benefit cost
Service cost			240,000	187,000
Interest cost			406,000	393,000
Amortization of prior service cost			-136,000	-136,000
Recognized net actuarial loss			392,000	229,000
Benefit cost (income)			$902,000	$673,000

Income_Taxes_Details_Textual

Income Taxes (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
U.S. Federal tax rate	35.00%	35.00%
Income tax provision	$1,093	$13,872
Foreign affiliate investment tax benefit, percent	12.20%
Effective tax rate	21.70%	34.80%

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv2

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	($54,595)	[1]	($21,181)	[1]
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	-3,450	[1]	-2,891	[1]
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	-85	[1]	-85	[1]
Other comprehensive income (loss)	-3,535	[1]	-2,976	[1]
Ending balance	-58,130	[1]	-24,157	[1]
Losses on Cash Flow Hedges
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	-364	[1]	-637	[1]
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	58	[1]	69	[1]
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	0	[1]	0	[1]
Other comprehensive income (loss)	58	[1]	69	[1]
Ending balance	-306	[1]	-568	[1]
Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	-4,709	[1]	0	[1]
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	-3,983	[1]	0	[1]
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	0	[1]	0	[1]
Other comprehensive income (loss)	-3,983	[1]	0	[1]
Ending balance	-8,692	[1]	0	[1]
Investment in Debt Securities
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	126	[1]	7,861	[1]
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	0	[1]	-3,232	[1]
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	0	[1]	0	[1]
Other comprehensive income (loss)	0	[1]	-3,232	[1]
Ending balance	126	[1]	4,629	[1]
Defined Benefit Plan Items
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	-49,648	[1]	-28,405	[1]
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	475	[1]	272	[1]
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	-85	[1]	-85	[1]
Other comprehensive income (loss)	390	[1]	187	[1]
Ending balance	($49,258)	[1]	($28,218)	[1]
[1]	All amounts are net of tax. Amounts in parentheses indicate debits

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv3

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss - Schedule of Reclassifications Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Schedule of Reclassifciations Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes	$5,038		$39,901
Income tax benefit	-1,093		-13,872
Net income	3,945		26,029
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Schedule of Reclassifciations Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Net income	-85	[1]	-85	[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	-136	[1],[2]	-136	[1],[2]
Income (loss) before income taxes	-136	[1]	-136	[1]
Income tax benefit	51	[1]	51	[1]
Net income	($85)	[1]	($85)	[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).

Earnings_Per_Share_Details

Earnings Per Share (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income attributable to The Andersons, Inc.	$4,097	$22,708
Participating Securities, Distributed and Undistributed Earnings (Loss), Basic	8	104
Earnings available to common shareholders	$4,089	$22,604
Earnings per share - basic:
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic (shares)	28,742,000	28,155,000
Earnings per common share - basic (dollars per share)	$0.14	$0.80
Earnings per share - diluted:
Weighted average shares outstanding - basic (shares)	28,742,000	28,155,000
Effect of dilutive awards (shares)	59,000	69,000
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted (shares)	28,801,000	28,224,000
Earnings per common share - diluted (dollars per share)	$0.14	$0.80
Earnings Per Share (Textual) [Abstract]
Antidilutive stock-based awards outstanding (shares)	0	0

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail

Fair Value Measurements (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Cash equivalents	$1,491		$269		$25,821
Restricted cash	685		429		652
Commodity derivatives, net	29,582	[1]	25,885	[1]	87,808	[1]
Convertible preferred securities	13,300	[2]	13,300	[2]	20,530	[2]
Other assets and liabilities	8,066	[3]	8,203	[3]	10,009	[3]
Total	53,124		48,086		144,820
Level 1
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Cash equivalents	1,491		269		25,821
Restricted cash	685		429		652
Commodity derivatives, net	60,796	[1]	72,868	[1]	82,626	[1]
Convertible preferred securities	0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Other assets and liabilities	11,583	[3]	10,869	[3]	10,960	[3]
Total	74,555		84,435		120,059
Level 2
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Cash equivalents	0		0		0
Restricted cash	0		0		0
Commodity derivatives, net	-31,214	[1]	-46,983	[1]	5,182	[1]
Convertible preferred securities	0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Other assets and liabilities	-3,517	[3]	-2,666	[3]	-951	[3]
Total	-34,731		-49,649		4,231
Level 3
Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis
Cash equivalents	0		0		0
Restricted cash	0		0		0
Commodity derivatives, net	0	[1]	0	[1]	0	[1]
Convertible preferred securities	13,300	[2]	13,300	[2]	20,530	[2]
Other assets and liabilities	0	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
Total	$13,300		$13,300		$20,530
[1]	Includes associated cash posted/received as collateral
[2]	Recorded in “Other noncurrent assets” on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
[3]	Included in other assets and liabilities are deferred compensation assets (Level 1) and interest rate derivatives (Level 2)

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail1

Fair Value Measurements (Details 1) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Convertible Preferred Stock
Beginning and ending balances for the Company's fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs
Asset, Beginning Balance	13,300	25,720	25,720
Unrealized gains (losses) included in other comprehensive income	0	-5,190
Asset, Ending Balance	13,300	20,530
Asset fair value	13,300	20,530
Level 3 | Convertible Preferred Stock
Beginning and ending balances for the Company's fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs
Asset, Ending Balance	13,300	20,530	13,300
Asset fair value	13,300	20,530	13,300
Market Approach Valuation Technique | Level 3 | Convertible Preferred Stock
Beginning and ending balances for the Company's fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs
Fair Value Inputs, Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization Multiple	6.61	7.75	7
Income Approach Valuation Technique | Level 3 | Convertible Preferred Stock
Beginning and ending balances for the Company's fair value measurements using Level 3 inputs
Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	14.50%	14.50%	14.50%

Fair_Value_Measurements_Detail2

Fair Value Measurements (Details 2) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair value of long-term debt estimated using quoted market prices or discounted future cash flows
Fair value of long-term debt	$350,684	$382,139	$400,495
Fair value in excess of carrying value	$8,390	$7,086	$3,574

Related_Party_Transactions_Det

Related Party Transactions (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]
Equity method investments	$222,082		$226,857		$232,396
The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]
Equity method investments	28,726		27,824		31,867
The Andersons Clymers Ethanol LLC
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]
Equity method investments	36,063		37,624		40,412
The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]
Equity method investments	31,869		31,537		45,946
Lansing Trade Group LLC
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]
Equity method investments	78,594		78,696		60,837
Thompsons Limited
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]
Equity method investments	44,224	[1]	48,455	[1]	49,520	[1]
Other
Equity Method Investment Companys Investment Balance In Each Equity Method Investees By Entity [Abstract]
Equity method investments	$2,606		$2,721		$3,814
[1]	Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures

Related_Party_Transactions_Det1

Related Party Transactions (Details 1) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	$3,261		$20,501
Reduction in ownership percentage (percentage)	1.50%
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	1,091		4,943
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	288		5,539
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	333		8,135
Lansing Trade Group LLC
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	40.00%	[1]
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	2,410		2,221
Thompsons Limited
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	50.00%	[2]
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	-861	[2]	-313	[2]
Other
Income Earned From Companys Equity Method Investments By Entity [Abstract]
Income earned from Company's equity method investees	$0		($24)
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)	34.00%
[1]	This does not consider restricted management units which once vested will reduce the ownership percentage by approximately 1.5%
[2]	Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures

Related_Party_Transactions_Det2

Related Party Transactions (Details 2) (LTG and The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
LTG and The Andersons Albion Ethanol LLC
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Income Statement [Abstract]
Sales	$1,699,063	$1,944,106
Gross profit	47,659	41,124
Income before income taxes	10,586	17,314
Net income	9,345	14,885
Net income attributable to the entities	$8,343	$14,632

Related_Party_Transactions_Det3

Related Party Transactions (Details 3) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2014
Related party transactions entered into for the time periods presented
Sales revenues	$149,472		$221,994
Service fee revenues	4,925	[1]	5,638	[1]
Purchases of product	102,795		155,015
Lease income	1,663	[2]	1,664	[2]
Labor and benefits reimbursement	3,032	[3]	2,868	[3]
Other expenses	338	[4]	486	[4]
Accounts receivable	13,507	[5]	30,609	[5]	25,049	[5]
Accounts payable	$12,911	[6]	$24,454	[6]	$17,687	[6]
[1]	Service fee revenues include management fees, corn origination fees, 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 various 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 $)	3 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015		Mar. 31, 2014	Jan. 22, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Jan. 21, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Total distributions received from unconsolidated affiliates	$4,600,000		$65,600,000
Proceeds from returns of investments in affiliates	0		31,457,000
Percentage of 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	13,300,000
Current maximum exposure to loss related to IANR	21,600,000
Investment and unpaid accrued dividends	8,300,000
Revenues recognized for the sale of ethanol	101,800,000		144,300,000
Revenues recognized for the sale of corn	96,700,000		117,200,000
Related party, Gross asset	2,400,000		24,000,000		1,400,000
Related party, Gross liability	300,000		10,300,000		3,800,000
Thompsons Limited
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	50.00%	[1]
The Andersons Ethanol Investment LLC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	66.00%
Noncontrolling interest is attributed of all gains and losses of parent (percentage)	34.00%
The Andersons Marathon Ethanol LLC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)	50.00%
Lansing Trade Group LLC
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Agreement for partial redemption of equity method investment				60,000,000
Percentage of company ownership interest (percentage)				39.20%		47.50%
Total distributions received from unconsolidated affiliates				28,500,000
Proceeds from returns of investments in affiliates				31,500,000
Equity Method Investment, Realized Gain (Loss) on Disposal			17,100,000
Equity Method Investment, Realized Gain (Loss) on Disposal, Net of Tax			$10,700,000
[1]	Thompsons Limited and related U.S. operating company held by joint ventures

Segment_Information_Details

Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales and merchandising revenues	$950,090	$1,003,294
Inter-segment sales	2,187	398
Other income (expense), net	3,107	19,612
Income (loss) before income taxes	5,038	39,901
Identifiable assets	2,287,627	2,125,583	2,364,692
Grain
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales and merchandising revenues	585,162	583,159
Inter-segment sales	1,689	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	743	11,306
Identifiable assets	1,022,753	979,608	1,137,437
Ethanol
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales and merchandising revenues	138,180	188,820
Income (loss) before income taxes	5,280	19,824
Identifiable assets	200,095	224,931	197,888
Plant Nutrient
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales and merchandising revenues	153,951	151,355
Inter-segment sales	317	289
Income (loss) before income taxes	424	-36
Identifiable assets	496,906	421,757	433,013
Rail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales and merchandising revenues	44,216	52,302
Inter-segment sales	181	109
Income (loss) before income taxes	10,313	15,045
Identifiable assets	381,909	303,532	365,531
Retail
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales and merchandising revenues	28,581	27,658
Income (loss) before income taxes	-2,183	-2,335
Identifiable assets	47,413	47,710	44,536
Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes	-9,387	-7,224
Identifiable assets	138,551	148,045	186,287
Noncontrolling Interests
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes	($152)	$3,321

Segment_Information_Details_Te

Segment Information (Details Textual)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
	segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments (business segments)	5

Supplemental_Cash_Flow_Informa2

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Noncash investing and financing activity
Capital projects incurred but not yet paid	$3,710	$4,020
Purchase of a productive asset through seller-financing	1,010	2,562
Shares issued for acquisition of business	4,303	0
Dividends declared not yet paid	$3,985	$3,126

Business_Acquisition_Details

Business Acquisition (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data in Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Oct. 07, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
	business
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of business acquisitions	0
Auburn Bean and Grain
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of shares outstanding acquired		100.00%
Number of transactions		2
Cash payments to acquire businesses		$5
Shares issued in connection with business acquisition, adjustment to working capital, shares		80
Shares issued in connection with business acquisition, adjustment to working capital, value		4.5
Cash paid to acquire additional facilities		20.4
Additional grain storage capacity acquired (bushels)		18,100,000
Dry grain storage acquired (tons)		16,000
Grain storage acquired, liquid nutrient capacity (gallons)		3,700,000
Purchase price		60.9
Series of business acquisitions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase price			7.2
Grain operations | Auburn Bean and Grain
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of locations acquired		6
Agronomy operations | Auburn Bean and Grain
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of locations acquired		4
Number of shares issued as part of acquisition		637
Shares issued in connection with business acquisition, value		$35.50