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Investments | 9 Months Ended
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May. 31, 2015
Investments [Abstract] |
Investments | Investments As of August 31, 2014, we owned 84.0% of NCRA and with the closings in September 2014, our ownership increased to 88.9%. In fiscal 2012, we entered into an agreement to purchase the remaining shares of NCRA from Growmark Inc. and MFA Oil Company in separate closings to be held annually thereafter, with the final closing occurring on September 1, 2015. Pursuant to this agreement, we made payments during the nine months ended May 31, 2015 and 2014 of $66.0 million and $66.0 million, respectively. The present value of the remaining payments is included as mandatorily redeemable noncontrolling interest on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. In addition to these payments, we paid $16.5 million during the nine months ended May 31, 2014 related to the associated crack spread contingent liability. The fair value of the remaining contingent liability was $109.2 million as of May 31, 2015. Equity Method Investments Joint ventures and other investments, in which we have significant ownership and influence, but not control, are accounted for in our consolidated financial statements using the equity method of accounting. Our significant equity method investments are summarized below. We have a 50% interest in Ventura Foods, LLC (Ventura Foods), a joint venture which produces and distributes primarily vegetable oil-based products, and is included in Corporate and Other. We account for Ventura Foods as an equity method investment, and as of May 31, 2015, our carrying value of Ventura Foods exceeded our share of their equity by $12.9 million, which represents equity method goodwill. As of May 31, 2015, the carrying value of our investment in Ventura Foods was $341.5 million. In fiscal 2014, we formed Ardent Mills, LLC (Ardent Mills), a joint venture with Cargill Incorporated (Cargill) and ConAgra Foods, Inc., which combines the North American flour milling operations of the three parent companies, giving CHS a 12% interest in Ardent Mills. Prior to closing, we contributed $32.8 million to Horizon Milling, LLC to pay off existing debt as a pre-condition to close. Upon closing, Ardent Mills was financed with funds from third-party borrowings, which did not require credit support from the owners. We received $121.2 million of cash proceeds distributed to us in proportion to our ownership interest, adjusted for deviations in specified working capital target amounts, and recognized a total gain of $109.2 million associated with this transaction. In connection with the closing, the parties also entered into various ancillary and non-compete agreements including, among other things, an agreement for us to supply Ardent Mills with certain wheat products. As we hold one of the five board seats, we account for Ardent Mills as an equity method investment included in Corporate and Other. As of May 31, 2015, the carrying value of our investment in Ardent Mills was $195.2 million. TEMCO, LLC (TEMCO) is owned and governed by Cargill (50%) and CHS (50%). Both owners have committed to sell all of their feedgrains, wheat, oilseeds and by-product origination that are tributary to the Pacific Northwest, United States (Pacific Northwest) to TEMCO and to use TEMCO as their exclusive export-marketing vehicle for such grains exported through the Pacific Northwest through January 2037. We account for TEMCO as an equity method investment included in our Ag segment. As of May 31, 2015, the carrying value of our investment in TEMCO was $60.0 million. Other Short-Term Investments In the first quarter of fiscal 2015, we invested $315.0 million of the proceeds from the September 2014 Class B Series 3 Preferred Stock issuance (see Note 9, Equities for additional information) in time deposits with original maturities of six and nine months with select highly-rated financial institution counterparties. As of May 31, 2015, $145.0 million of these short-term investments had matured and were reconverted into cash and cash equivalents. The remaining $170.0 million of short-term investments are included in other current assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheet.

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