CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 200,003,000	$ 178,144,000	$ 136,089,000
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	(17,025,000)	720,000	17,314,000
Amortization of debt premiums, discounts, and issuance costs	31,421,000	19,656,000	6,780,000
Net change in fair value of trading securities, hedged items, and financial derivatives	78,249,000	689,998,000	205,701,000
Gain on the sale of available-for-sale investment securities	0	0	(253,000)
Gain on the sale of mortgage loans	0	0	(6,539,000)
Total provision for/(release of) allowance for losses	1,136,000	806,000	(2,187,000)
Excess tax benefits related to stock-based awards	523,000	101,000	292,000
Deferred income taxes	6,690,000	12,406,000	(1,630,000)
Stock-based compensation expense	6,801,000	4,624,000	4,311,000
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for sale	24,378,000	33,311,000	46,968,000
Net change in:
Interest receivable	(63,944,000)	(63,777,000)	4,446,000
Guarantee and commitment fees receivable	(1,700,000)	1,043,000	(34,000)
Other assets	54,369,000	(126,054,000)	(9,830,000)
Accrued interest payable	63,954,000	58,884,000	(9,526,000)
Custodial deposit liability	(10,778,000)	(7,666,000)	44,955,000
Other liabilities	1,721,000	7,075,000	(445,000)
Net cash provided by operating activities	375,798,000	809,271,000	436,412,000
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of other investment securities	(3,145,000)	(2,443,000)	(1,229,000)
Purchases of loans held for investment	(2,164,053,000)	(2,592,924,000)	(2,916,493,000)
Purchases of defaulted loans	0	0	(8,713,000)
Proceeds from repayment of loans purchased as held for investment	1,363,588,000	1,321,989,000	1,889,408,000
Proceeds from sale of loans previously classified as held for investment	0	9,000,000	301,393,000
Proceeds from sale of available-for-sale investment securities	0	0	257,524,000
Proceeds from sale of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	0	99,643,000	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,955,381,000)	(3,042,959,000)	(1,096,196,000)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Proceeds from issuance of discount notes	49,291,165,000	52,470,273,000	61,112,365,000
Proceeds from issuance of medium-term notes	8,274,618,000	9,031,116,000	11,173,147,000
Proceeds from third parties from issuance of debt securities of consolidated trusts	222,188,000	258,198,000	0
Payments to redeem discount notes	(48,138,591,000)	(54,085,418,000)	(60,743,066,000)
Payments to redeem medium-term notes	(7,862,450,000)	(5,192,159,000)	(10,586,370,000)
Payments to third parties on debt securities of consolidated trusts	(102,045,000)	(226,291,000)	(480,272,000)
Proceeds from common stock issuance	233,000	192,000	117,000
Proceeds from preferred stock issuance, net of stock issuance costs	0	0	121,327,000
Tax payments related to share-based awards	(3,013,000)	(1,835,000)	(1,305,000)
Dividends paid on common and preferred stock	(74,817,000)	(68,171,000)	(61,315,000)
Net cash provided by financing activities	1,607,288,000	2,185,905,000	534,628,000
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	27,705,000	(47,783,000)	(125,156,000)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	861,002,000	908,785,000	1,033,941,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	888,707,000	861,002,000	908,785,000
Cash paid during the period for:
Interest	582,960,000	269,327,000	198,593,000
Income taxes	48,000,000	33,800,000	36,300,000
Non-cash activity:
Loans securitized as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	36,497,000	162,875,000	113,175,000
Loans held for investment transferred to consolidated trusts	281,027,000	297,713,000	0
Reclassification of loans held for investment to loans held for sale	0	0	301,551,000
Available-for-sale securities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of available-for-sale and held-to-maturity investment securities	(1,573,707,000)	(2,472,056,000)	(2,004,911,000)
Proceeds from repayment of available-for-sale and held-to-maturity investment securities	1,397,096,000	1,440,201,000	1,740,000,000
Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Securities	(4,453,284,000)	(5,275,733,000)	(4,380,901,000)
Proceeds from repayment of securities	$ 3,478,124,000	$ 4,429,364,000	$ 4,027,726,000