CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EQUITY Statement - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Common Class C, Non-Voting [Member]	Preferred Stock [Member]	Preferred Stock [Member] Common Class C, Non-Voting [Member]	Common Stock [Member]	Common Stock [Member] Common Class C, Non-Voting [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member]	Additional Paid-in Capital [Member] Common Class C, Non-Voting [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member] Common Class C, Non-Voting [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member] Common Class C, Non-Voting [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member] Common Class C, Non-Voting [Member]
Beginning Balance (Shares Outstanding) at Dec. 31, 2014			8,400		10,937
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 781,829		$ 204,759		$ 10,937		$ 113,559		$ 15,533		$ 201,013		$ 236,028
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Attributable to Farmer Mac	50,372		0		0		0		0		50,372		0
Less: Net loss/(income) attributable to non-controlling interest	(5,199)		0		0		0		0		0		(155)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	(33,347)		0		0		0		(33,347)		0		0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	(9,886)		0		0		0		0		(9,886)		0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(5,280)		0		0		0		0		(5,280)		0
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues				0		110
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues		$ 120		$ 0		$ 110		$ 10		$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
Repurchase of Class C Common Stock				0		(104)
Repurchase of Class C Common Stock		(2,790)		$ 0		$ (104)		0		0		(2,686)		0
Stock-based compensation cost	2,457		0		0		2,457		0		0		0
Other stock-based award activity	1,051		0		0		1,051		0		0		0
Investment in subsidiary - non-controlling interest	175		0		0		0		0		0		175
Redemption of Farmer Mac II LLC preferred stock	(244,000)		$ 0		$ 0		0		0		(8,147)		(235,853)
Ending Balance (Shares Outstanding) at Sep. 30, 2015			8,400		10,943
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2015	540,546		$ 204,759		$ 10,943		117,077		(17,814)		225,386		195
Beginning Balance (Shares Outstanding) at Dec. 31, 2015			8,400		10,687
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	553,720		$ 204,759		$ 10,687		117,862		(11,019)		231,228		203
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Attributable to Farmer Mac	48,573		0		0		0		0		48,573		0
Less: Net loss/(income) attributable to non-controlling interest	62		0		0		0		0		0		(62)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	24,583		0		0		0		24,583		0		0
Dividends, Preferred Stock, Cash	(9,886)		0		0		0		0		(9,886)		0
Dividends, Common Stock, Cash	(8,145)		0		0		0		0		(8,145)		0
Stock Issued During Period, Shares, New Issues				0		101
Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues		124		$ 0		$ 101		23		0		0		0
Repurchase of Class C Common Stock				0		(307)
Repurchase of Class C Common Stock		$ (9,088)		$ 0		$ (307)		$ 0		$ 0		$ (8,781)		$ 0
Stock-based compensation cost	2,565		0		0		2,565		0		0		0
Other stock-based award activity	(1,553)		0		0		(1,553)		0		0		0
Investment in subsidiary - non-controlling interest	53		$ 0		$ 0		0		0		0		53
Ending Balance (Shares Outstanding) at Sep. 30, 2016			8,400		10,481
Ending Balance at Sep. 30, 2016	$ 600,884		$ 204,759		$ 10,481		$ 118,897		$ 13,564		$ 252,989		$ 194