Equities (Tables)
 9 Months Ended
May 31, 2021
Class of Stock [Line Items]  
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Pension and Other Postretirement BenefitsCash Flow HedgesForeign Currency Translation AdjustmentTotal
(Dollars in thousands)
Balance as of August 31, 2020, net of tax$(159,680)$10,886 $(85,130)$(233,924)
Other comprehensive income (loss), before tax:
Amounts before reclassifications
(125)14,506 3,629 18,010 
Amounts reclassified
4,977 (12,284)— (7,307)
Total other comprehensive income, before tax4,852 2,222 3,629 10,703 
Tax effect
(1,207)(553)(26)(1,786)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax3,645 1,669 3,603 8,917 
Balance as of November 30, 2020, net of tax$(156,035)$12,555 $(81,527)$(225,007)
Other comprehensive income (loss), before tax:
Amounts before reclassifications
— 2,929 (587)2,342 
Amounts reclassified
5,151 (3,673)— 1,478 
Total other comprehensive income (loss), before tax
5,151 (744)(587)3,820 
Tax effect
(1,282)185 (174)(1,271)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax3,869 (559)(761)2,549 
Balance as of February 28, 2021, net of tax$(152,166)$11,996 $(82,288)$(222,458)
Other comprehensive income (loss), before tax:
Amounts before reclassifications112 (4,725)8,398 3,785 
Amounts reclassified5,064 (1,919)— 3,145 
Total other comprehensive income (loss), before tax5,176 (6,644)8,398 6,930 
Tax effect(1,288)1,653 (180)185 
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax3,888 (4,991)8,218 7,115 
Balance as of May 31, 2021, net of tax$(148,278)$7,005 $(74,070)$(215,343)
Pension and Other Postretirement BenefitsCash Flow HedgesForeign Currency Translation AdjustmentTotal
(Dollars in thousands)
Balance as of August 31, 2019, net of tax$(172,478)$15,297 $(69,752)$(226,933)
Other comprehensive income (loss), before tax:
Amounts before reclassifications
(85)(3,331)(2,411)(5,827)
Amounts reclassified
4,977 (4,473)— 504 
Total other comprehensive income (loss), before tax
4,892 (7,804)(2,411)(5,323)
Tax effect
181 1,932 1,572 3,685 
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax5,073 (5,872)(839)(1,638)
Balance as of November 30, 2019, net of tax$(167,405)$9,425 $(70,591)$(228,571)
Other comprehensive income (loss), before tax:
Amounts before reclassifications
— (5,975)(8,540)(14,515)
Amounts reclassified
4,977 (1,747)— 3,230 
Total other comprehensive income (loss), before tax
4,977 (7,722)(8,540)(11,285)
Tax effect
(1,231)1,910 21 700 
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax3,746 (5,812)(8,519)(10,585)
Balance as of February 29, 2020, net of tax$(163,659)$3,613 $(79,110)$(239,156)
Other comprehensive income (loss), before tax:
Amounts before reclassifications(340)7,795 (12,515)(5,060)
Amounts reclassified4,977 1,263 — 6,240 
Total other comprehensive income (loss), before tax4,637 9,058 (12,515)1,180 
Tax effect(1,147)(2,241)199 (3,189)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax3,490 6,817 (12,316)(2,009)
Balance as of May 31, 2020, net of tax$(160,169)$10,430 $(91,426)$(241,165)
Schedule of Stockholders Equity Changes in equities for the three and nine months ended May 31, 2021 and 2020, are as follows:
 Equity Certificates Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Loss		   
Capital
Equity
Certificates		Nonpatronage
Equity
Certificates		Nonqualified Equity CertificatesPreferred
Stock		Capital
Reserves		Noncontrolling
Interests		Total
Equities
 (Dollars in thousands)
Balances, August 31, 2020$3,724,187 $28,727 $1,408,696 $2,264,038 $(233,924)$1,618,147 $9,302 $8,819,173 
Reversal of prior year redemption estimates
7,726 — — — — — — 7,726 
Redemptions of equities
(6,539)(31)(1,156)— — — — (7,726)
Preferred stock dividends
— — — — — (84,334)— (84,334)
Other, net
(654)(47)(197)— — (7,798)35 (8,661)
Net income (loss)— — — — — 69,671 (302)69,369 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax— — — — 8,917 — — 8,917 
Estimated 2021 cash patronage refunds— — — — — (9,304)— (9,304)
Estimated 2021 equity redemptions(9,304)— — — — — — (9,304)
Balances, November 30, 2020$3,715,416 $28,649 $1,407,343 $2,264,038 $(225,007)$1,586,382 $9,035 $8,785,856 
Reversal of prior year patronage and redemption estimates4,760 — (211,970)— — 233,345 — 26,135 
Distribution of 2020 patronage refunds— — 214,720 — — (236,136)— (21,416)
Redemptions of equities(4,177)(35)(548)— — — — (4,760)
Preferred stock dividends— — — — — (42,167)— (42,167)
Other, net(26)— (15)— — 1,068 (361)666 
Net loss— — — — — (38,229)(129)(38,358)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax— — — — 2,549 — — 2,549 
Estimated 2021 cash patronage refunds— — — — — 5,639 — 5,639 
Estimated 2021 equity redemptions5,639 — — — — — — 5,639 
Balances, February 28, 2021$3,721,612 $28,614 $1,409,530 $2,264,038 $(222,458)$1,509,902 $8,545 $8,719,783 
Reversal of prior year redemption estimates15,514 — 5,000 — — 8,625 — 29,139 
Distribution of 2020 patronage refunds— — 7 — — (8,632)— (8,625)
Redemptions of equities(19,275)(35)(6,013)— — — — (25,323)
Other, net(298)43 58 — — (1,726)(61)(1,984)
Net income— — — — — 273,591 81 273,672 
Other comprehensive income, net of tax— — — — 7,115 — — 7,115 
Estimated 2021 cash patronage refunds— — — — — (21,292)— (21,292)
Estimated 2021 equity redemptions(21,292)— — — — — — (21,292)
Balances, May 31, 2021$3,696,261 $28,622 $1,408,582 $2,264,038 $(215,343)$1,760,468 $8,565 $8,951,193 
 Equity Certificates Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Loss		   
Capital
Equity
Certificates		Nonpatronage
Equity
Certificates		Nonqualified Equity CertificatesPreferred
Stock		Capital
Reserves		Noncontrolling
Interests		Total
Equities
 (Dollars in thousands)
Balances, August 31, 2019$3,753,493 $29,074 $1,206,310 $2,264,038 $(226,933)$1,584,158 $7,390 $8,617,530 
Reversal of prior year redemption estimates
5,447 — — — — — — 5,447 
Redemptions of equities
(4,721)(54)(672)— — — — (5,447)
Preferred stock dividends
— — — — — (84,334)— (84,334)
ASC Topic 842 cumulative-effect adjustment
— — — — — 33,707 — 33,707 
Other, net
(8)— (39)— — (1,312)410 (949)
Net income — — — — — 177,882 855 178,737 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax— — — — (1,638)— — (1,638)
Estimated 2020 cash patronage refunds
— — — — — (28,504)— (28,504)
Estimated 2020 equity redemptions
(91,633)— — — — — — (91,633)
Balances, November 30, 2019$3,662,578 $29,020 $1,205,599 $2,264,038 $(228,571)$1,681,597 $8,655 $8,622,916 
Reversal of prior year patronage and redemption estimates3,387 — (472,398)— — 562,398 — 93,387 
Distribution of 2019 patronage refunds— — 474,066 — — (564,096)— (90,030)
Redemptions of equities(2,998)(20)(369)— — — — (3,387)
Preferred stock dividends— — — — — (42,167)— (42,167)
Other, net(201)— 3 — — 10 (324)(512)
Net income— — — — — 125,447 247 125,694 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax— — — — (10,585)— — (10,585)
Estimated 2020 cash patronage refunds— — — — — (22,206)— (22,206)
Estimated 2020 equity redemptions(49,154)— — — — — — (49,154)
Balances, February 29, 2020$3,613,612 $29,000 $1,206,901 $2,264,038 $(239,156)$1,740,983 $8,578 $8,623,956 
Reversal of prior year redemption estimates67,438 — 10,000 — — — — 77,438 
Distribution of 2019 patronage refunds— — 327 — — (409)— (82)
Redemptions of equities(64,273)(91)(13,074)— — — — (77,438)
Other, net(1,544)(7)(116)— — 1,053 8 (606)
Net income (loss)— — — — — 97,648 (147)97,501 
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax— — — — (2,009)— — (2,009)
Estimated 2020 cash patronage refunds— — — — — 13,551 — 13,551 
Estimated 2020 equity redemptions47,975 — — — — — — 47,975 
Balances, May 31, 2020$3,663,208 $28,902 $1,204,038 $2,264,038 $(241,165)$1,852,826 $8,439 $8,780,286 
Preferred Stock [Text Block]
Preferred Stock Dividends

    The following is a summary of dividends per share by series of preferred stock for the nine months ended May 31, 2021 and 2020. Note that due to the timing of dividend declarations during the fiscal year, no declarations were made during the third quarter of fiscal 2021 or the third quarter of fiscal 2020.
Nine Months Ended May 31,
Nasdaq symbol20212020
Series of preferred stock:(Dollars per share)
8% Cumulative Redeemable
CHSCP$1.50 $1.50 
Class B Cumulative Redeemable, Series 1
CHSCO$1.48 $1.48 
Class B Reset Rate Cumulative Redeemable, Series 2
CHSCN$1.33 $1.33 
Class B Reset Rate Cumulative Redeemable, Series 3
CHSCM$1.27 $1.27 
Class B Cumulative Redeemable, Series 4
CHSCL$1.41 $1.41