BUSINESS SEGMENT REPORTING (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2024 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2024 USD ($) segment	Jun. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment			7
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	$ 87,340	$ 78,677	$ 173,708	$ 157,735
Guarantee and commitment fees	3,797	3,489	7,714	7,422
Gain on sale of investment securities	1,052	0	1,052	0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	(1,147)	0	(1,147)	0
Other income/(expense)	(1,125)	2,451	2,203	4,076
Total revenues	89,917	84,617	183,530	169,233
Provision for losses	(6,179)	(1,073)	(4,378)	(1,620)
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	(51)	(69)	18	(272)
Operating expenses	(24,469)	(24,188)	(51,706)	(47,901)
Total non-interest expense	(24,520)	(24,257)	(51,688)	(48,173)
Core earnings before income taxes	59,218	59,287	127,464	119,440
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(12,113)	(12,075)	(26,613)	(25,193)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	47,105	47,212	100,851	94,247
Preferred stock dividends	(6,792)	(6,791)	(13,583)	(13,582)
Segment core earnings/(losses)	40,313	40,421	87,268	80,665
Total Assets	30,194,314	27,659,565	30,194,314	27,659,565	$ 29,524,382
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	28,758,339	26,737,052	28,758,339	26,737,052
Reconciling Adjustments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	0	0	0	0
Less: reconciling adjustments	3,744	(3,155)	7,068	(1,270)
Net effective spread	3,744	(3,155)	7,068	(1,270)
Guarantee and commitment fees	(1,459)	(1,092)	(2,524)	(1,813)
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	(1,606)	2,042	645	2,600
Total revenues	679	(2,205)	5,189	(483)
Provision for losses	0	0	0	0
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Total non-interest expense	0	0	0	0
Core earnings before income taxes	679	(2,205)	5,189	(483)
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(143)	464	(1,090)	102
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	536	(1,741)	4,099	(381)
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	536	(1,741)	4,099	(381)
Total Assets	0	0	0	0
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	0	0	$ 0	0
Agricultural Finance
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment			2
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	(36)	(75)	$ 28	(652)
Farm & Ranch | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	35,522	35,425	69,411	68,936
Less: reconciling adjustments	(1,366)	(1,037)	(2,412)	(2,083)
Net effective spread	34,156	34,388	66,999	66,853
Guarantee and commitment fees	4,612	4,221	9,096	8,513
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	517	342	1,512	1,409
Total revenues	39,285	38,951	77,607	76,775
Provision for losses	(211)	(5)	(772)	123
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	(36)	(75)	28	(652)
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Total non-interest expense	(36)	(75)	28	(652)
Core earnings before income taxes	39,038	38,871	76,863	76,246
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(8,198)	(8,163)	(16,141)	(16,012)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	30,840	30,708	60,722	60,234
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	30,840	30,708	60,722	60,234
Total Assets	14,962,357	14,456,296	14,962,357	14,456,296
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	18,504,501	18,116,503	18,504,501	18,116,503
Corporate AgFinance | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	7,866	7,444	15,837	14,592
Less: reconciling adjustments	0	0	0	0
Net effective spread	7,866	7,444	15,837	14,592
Guarantee and commitment fees	127	62	214	115
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	(1,147)		(1,147)
Other income/(expense)	(5)	12	7	12
Total revenues	6,841	7,518	14,911	14,719
Provision for losses	(5,354)	(327)	(4,976)	(4,628)
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Total non-interest expense	0	0	0	0
Core earnings before income taxes	1,487	7,191	9,935	10,091
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(312)	(1,510)	(2,086)	(2,119)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	1,175	5,681	7,849	7,972
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	1,175	5,681	7,849	7,972
Total Assets	1,660,154	1,584,841	1,660,154	1,584,841
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	1,816,893	1,680,756	1,816,893	1,680,756
Rural Infrastructure Finance
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	(16)	6	(11)	380
Rural  Utilities | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	7,672	5,839	14,937	11,379
Less: reconciling adjustments	(26)	(31)	(60)	(64)
Net effective spread	7,646	5,808	14,877	11,315
Guarantee and commitment fees	301	281	650	562
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	7,947	6,089	15,527	11,877
Provision for losses	502	(632)	3,519	2,852
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	(15)	6	(10)	380
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Total non-interest expense	(15)	6	(10)	380
Core earnings before income taxes	8,434	5,463	19,036	15,109
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(1,771)	(1,147)	(3,998)	(3,173)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	6,663	4,316	15,038	11,936
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	6,663	4,316	15,038	11,936
Total Assets	7,135,581	6,169,811	7,135,581	6,169,811
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	7,561,473	6,611,892	7,561,473	6,611,892
Renewable Energy | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	2,999	1,100	5,048	1,958
Less: reconciling adjustments	0	0	0	0
Net effective spread	2,999	1,100	5,048	1,958
Guarantee and commitment fees	216	17	278	45
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	3,215	1,117	5,326	2,003
Provision for losses	(1,117)	(110)	(2,151)	28
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Total non-interest expense	0	0	0	0
Core earnings before income taxes	2,098	1,007	3,175	2,031
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(441)	(211)	(667)	(426)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	1,657	796	2,508	1,605
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	1,657	796	2,508	1,605
Total Assets	736,936	314,538	736,936	314,538
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	875,472	327,901	875,472	327,901
Funding | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	32,620	28,402	67,339	60,946
Less: reconciling adjustments	(2,352)	4,096	(4,596)	3,290
Net effective spread	30,268	32,498	62,743	64,236
Guarantee and commitment fees	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	0	0	0	0
Total revenues	30,268	32,498	62,743	64,236
Provision for losses	0	0	0	0
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Total non-interest expense	0	0	0	0
Core earnings before income taxes	30,268	32,498	62,743	64,236
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(6,355)	(6,825)	(13,174)	(13,490)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	23,913	25,673	49,569	50,746
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	23,913	25,673	49,569	50,746
Total Assets	0	0	0	0
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	0	0	0	0
Investments | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	661	467	1,136	(76)
Less: reconciling adjustments	0	127	0	127
Net effective spread	661	594	1,136	51
Guarantee and commitment fees	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of investment securities	1,052		1,052
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	7	11	11	11
Total revenues	1,720	605	2,199	62
Provision for losses	1	1	2	5
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Total non-interest expense	0	0	0	0
Core earnings before income taxes	1,721	606	2,201	67
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(362)	(127)	(463)	(14)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	1,359	479	1,738	53
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	1,359	479	1,738	53
Total Assets	5,560,800	4,959,243	5,560,800	4,959,243
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	0	0	0	0
Corporate | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	0	0	0	0
Less: reconciling adjustments	0	0	0	0
Net effective spread	0	0	0	0
Guarantee and commitment fees	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	(38)	44	28	44
Total revenues	(38)	44	28	44
Provision for losses	0	0	0	0
(Provision for)/release of reserve for losses	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	(24,469)	(24,188)	(51,706)	(47,901)
Total non-interest expense	(24,469)	(24,188)	(51,706)	(47,901)
Core earnings before income taxes	(24,507)	(24,144)	(51,678)	(47,857)
Income tax (expense)/benefit	5,469	5,444	11,006	9,939
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	(19,038)	(18,700)	(40,672)	(37,918)
Preferred stock dividends	(6,792)	(6,791)	(13,583)	(13,582)
Segment core earnings/(losses)	(25,830)	(25,491)	(54,255)	(51,500)
Total Assets	138,486	174,836	138,486	174,836
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0