Off-Balance Sheet Guarantees and Long Term Standby Purchase Commitments - Cash Flows from Off-balance sheet Guaranteed Securities (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014 Off Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 Off Balance Sheet Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Long-Term Standby Purchase Commitments [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Long-Term Standby Purchase Commitments [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Long-Term Standby Purchase Commitments On Or After January 1, 2003 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Long-Term Standby Purchase Commitments On Or After January 1, 2003 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Financial Guarantee [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary [Member] Financial Guarantee [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities AgVantage [Member] Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Financial Guarantee [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities AgVantage [Member] Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Financial Guarantee [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities [Member] Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Financial Guarantee [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities [Member] Collateralized Loan Obligations [Member] Financial Guarantee [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Guarantor Obligations, Maximum Exposure, Undiscounted			$ 2,300,000,000	$ 2,300,000,000
Proceeds from sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	62,751,000	25,042,000
Guarantee Fees Received	827,000	992,000
Payments to Acquire Loans and Leases Held-for-investment	0	(103,000)
Guarantor Obligations, Current Carrying Value					$ 27,700,000	$ 26,300,000	$ 13,000,000	$ 13,400,000
Weighted average remaining maturity, Loans underlying guarantees not held by transferor			14 years 1 month 6 days	13 years 10 months 24 days					3 years 2 months 12 days	3 years 4 months 20 days	12 years 7 months 6 days	12 years 9 months 18 days