Accounting Policies - Cash and Cash Equivalents and Statements of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest	$ 113,680,000	$ 90,052,000
Income taxes	12,750,000	17,000,000
Non-cash activity:
Real estate owned acquired through loan liquidation	0	1,443,000
Loans acquired and securitized as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	169,820,000	64,609,000
Purchases of investment securities traded, not yet settled	0	57,001,000
Consolidation of Farm & Ranch Guaranteed Securities from off-balance sheet to loans held for investment in consolidated trusts and to debt securities of consolidated trusts held by third parties	172,268,000	64,609,000
Transfers of loans held for sale to loans held for investment	0	673,991,000
Transfers of available-for-sale Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities to held-to-maturity	$ 1,589,775,000	$ 0