CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 132,260	$ 108,648	$ 109,546
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Net amortization of deferred gains, premiums, and discounts on loans, investments, Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities, and USDA Securities	17,314	8,343	(10,399)
Amortization of debt premiums, discounts, and issuance costs	6,780	21,319	50,052
Net change in fair value of trading securities, hedged assets, and financial derivatives	203,758	(256,466)	(220,080)
Gain on sale of real estate owned	0	(463)	0
Gain on the sale of available-for-sale investment securities	(253)	0	0
Gain on the sale of mortgage loans	(6,539)	0	0
Total (release)/provision for allowance for losses	(2,187)	8,055	3,501
Excess tax benefits related to stock-based awards	292	(440)	449
Deferred income taxes	(1,960)	(2,406)	789
Other	0	0	236
Stock-based compensation expense	4,311	4,128	2,258
Purchases of loans held for sale	0	(59,150)	0
Proceeds from the sale of loans held for sale	0	15,000	0
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for sale	46,968	59,370	54,195
Net change in:
Interest receivable	6,945	11,054	(19,080)
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable	(34)	164	(59)
Other assets	(9,830)	(3,348)	(2,744)
Accrued interest payable	(8,746)	(14,221)	10,216
Other liabilities	2,378	5,866	1,421
Custodial deposit liability	44,955	0	0
Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities	436,412	(94,547)	(19,699)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of other investment securities	(1,229)	0	0
Purchases of loans held for investment	(3,029,668)	(3,167,198)	(2,234,715)
Purchases of defaulted loans	(8,713)	(6,272)	(469)
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for investment	1,889,408	1,715,663	758,192
Proceeds from sale of loans previously classified as held for investment	301,393	0	0
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale investment securities	257,524	0	12,367
Proceeds from sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	113,175	165,054	321,414
Proceeds from sale of real estate owned	0	4,169	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,096,196)	(1,736,091)	(2,384,587)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of discount notes	61,112,365	68,548,733	64,642,545
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	11,173,147	13,509,754	10,195,775
Payments to redeem discount notes	(60,743,066)	(68,960,492)	(64,079,322)
Payments to redeem medium-term notes	(10,586,370)	(10,414,765)	(7,970,126)
Payments to third parties on debt securities of consolidated trusts	(480,272)	(504,807)	(181,493)
Proceeds from common stock issuance	117	56	44
Retirement of preferred stock	0	(60,000)	(75,000)
Proceeds from preferred stock issuance, net of stock issuance costs	121,327	193,163	96,659
Tax payments related to share-based awards	(1,305)	(560)	(1,777)
Purchases of common stock	0	(235)	0
Dividends paid on common and preferred stock	(61,315)	(50,649)	(43,894)
Net cash provided by financing activities	534,628	2,260,198	2,583,411
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	(125,156)	429,560	179,125
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,033,941	604,381	425,256
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	908,785	1,033,941	604,381
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest	198,593	283,335	365,526
Income taxes	36,300	30,000	23,100
Non-cash activity:
Loans acquired and securitized as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	113,175	165,054	321,414
Consolidation of Farmer Mac 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	113,175	165,054	263,561
Reclassification of defaulted loans from loans held for investment in consolidated trusts to loans held for investment	24,690	47,036	5,479
Reclassification of loans held for sale to loans held for investment	0	44,150	0
Reclassification of loans held for investment to loans held for sale	301,551	0	0
Net assets obtained in securitization	15,369	0	0
Capitalized interest	1,259	1,348	0
(Recovery)/charge-off from the allowance for losses	(1,054)	5,759	0
Loan payoff not yet received	(7,500)	0	0
Purchases of securities - traded, not yet settled	1,980	0	0
Available-for-sale securities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of securities	(2,004,911)	(2,852,658)	(2,166,376)
Proceeds from repayment of securities	1,740,000	1,961,895	1,425,402
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of securities	(4,380,901)	(2,074,701)	(2,691,104)
Proceeds from repayment of securities	$ 4,027,726	$ 2,517,957	$ 2,190,702