Off-Balance Sheet Guarantees and Long Term Standby Purchase Commitments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Guarantee and commitment obligation contingency activity [Table Text Block]

	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2012			2011			2010
	(in thousands)
Beginning balance, January 1	$	27,440		$	30,308		$	48,526
Additions to the guarantee and commitment obligation (1)	15,134			5,097			4,539
Adjustments related to new consolidation guidance	—			—			(12,812		)
Amortization of the guarantee and commitment obligation	(4,771		)	(7,965		)	(9,945		)
Ending balance, December 31	$	37,803		$	27,440		$	30,308

Schedule of Guarantor Obligations [Table Text Block]

The following table presents the maximum principal amount of potential undiscounted future payments that Farmer Mac could be required to make under all off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities as of December 31, 2012 and 2011, not including offsets provided by any recourse provisions, recoveries from third parties or collateral for the underlying loans:

Outstanding Balance of Off-Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities
	As of December 31,
	2012		2011
	(in thousands)
Farm & Ranch:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities - AgVantage	$	970,000	$	970,000
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	911,370		621,871
USDA Guarantees (Farmer Mac II):
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	29,658		42,088
Rural Utilities:
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities - AgVantage	12,669		16,271
Total off-balance sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	$	1,923,697	$	1,650,230

Schedule of Cash Flows Related To Transfer of Securitizations [Table Text Block]

	For the Year Ended December 31,
	2012			2011			2010
	(in thousands)
Proceeds from new securitizations	$	38,063		$	25,674		$	30,725
Guarantee fees received	5,197			7,520			7,592
Purchases of assets from the trusts	(8,933		)	(7,471		)	(3,456		)

Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases [Table Text Block]

Rental expense for Farmer Mac's office space for each of the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010 was $1.3 million, $1.6 million and $0.7 million, respectively.  The future minimum lease payments under Farmer Mac's non-cancelable leases for its office space and other contractual obligations are as follows:

	Future Minimum Lease Payments		Other Contractual Obligations
	(in thousands)
2013	$	1,246	$	630
2014	1,264		94
2015	1,281		6
2016	1,289		—
2017	1,322		—
Thereafter	9,694		—
Total	$	16,096	$	730