BUSINESS SEGMENT REPORTING (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2024 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2024 USD ($) segment	Sep. 30, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of operating segments | segment			7
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	$ 86,791	$ 87,643	$ 260,499	$ 245,378
Guarantee and commitment fees	4,015	5,520	11,729	12,942
Gain on sale of investment securities	0	0	1,052	0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0	0	(1,147)	0
Other income/(expense)	(516)	3,940	1,687	8,016
Total revenues	90,290	97,103	273,820	266,336
Provision for of losses	(3,428)	136	(7,806)	(1,484)
Release of/(provision for) reserve for losses	170	45	188	(227)
Operating expenses	(24,783)	(24,034)	(76,489)	(71,935)
Total non-interest expense	(24,613)	(23,989)	(76,301)	(72,162)
Core earnings before income taxes	62,249	73,250	189,713	192,690
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(12,421)	(15,113)	(39,034)	(40,306)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	49,828	58,137	150,679	152,384
Preferred stock dividends	(5,897)	(6,792)	(19,480)	(20,374)
Loss on retirement of preferred stock	(1,619)	0	(1,619)	0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	42,312	51,345	129,580	132,010
Total Assets	30,615,221	28,311,381	30,615,221	28,311,381	$ 29,524,382
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	28,468,303	27,652,011	28,468,303	27,652,011
Reconciling Adjustments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	0	0	0	0
Less: reconciling adjustments	1,395	4,219	8,463	2,949
Net effective spread	1,395	4,219	8,463	2,949
Guarantee and commitment fees	(982)	692	(3,506)	(1,121)
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	(1,649)	2,884	(1,004)	5,484
Total revenues	(1,236)	7,795	3,953	7,312
Provision for of losses	0	0	0	0
Release of/(provision for) 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	(1,236)	7,795	3,953	7,312
Income tax (expense)/benefit	260	(1,638)	(830)	(1,536)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	(976)	6,157	3,123	5,776
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Loss on retirement of preferred stock	(1,619)		(1,619)
Segment core earnings/(losses)	(2,595)	6,157	1,504	5,776
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]
Release of/(provision for) reserve for losses	126	59	$ 154	(593)
Farm & Ranch | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	36,816	33,735	106,227	102,671
Less: reconciling adjustments	(1,061)	(1,017)	(3,473)	(3,100)
Net effective spread	35,755	32,718	102,754	99,571
Guarantee and commitment fees	4,304	4,447	13,400	12,960
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	1,091	807	2,603	2,216
Total revenues	41,150	37,972	118,757	114,747
Provision for of losses	(116)	13	(888)	136
Release of/(provision for) reserve for losses	126	58	154	(594)
Operating expenses	(196)	0	(196)	0
Total non-interest expense	(70)	58	(42)	(594)
Core earnings before income taxes	40,964	38,043	117,827	114,289
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(8,602)	(7,989)	(24,743)	(24,001)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	32,362	30,054	93,084	90,288
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Loss on retirement of preferred stock	0		0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	32,362	30,054	93,084	90,288
Total Assets	14,562,142	14,660,371	14,562,142	14,660,371
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	18,090,374	18,461,835	18,090,374	18,461,835
Corporate AgFinance | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	6,397	8,250	22,234	22,842
Less: reconciling adjustments	0	0	0	0
Net effective spread	6,397	8,250	22,234	22,842
Guarantee and commitment fees	168	78	382	193
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		0
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		(1,147)
Other income/(expense)	40	0	47	12
Total revenues	6,605	8,328	21,516	23,047
Provision for of losses	(1,779)	3,694	(6,755)	(934)
Release of/(provision for) 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	4,826	12,022	14,761	22,113
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(1,013)	(2,525)	(3,099)	(4,644)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	3,813	9,497	11,662	17,469
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Loss on retirement of preferred stock	0		0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	3,813	9,497	11,662	17,469
Total Assets	1,662,687	1,619,664	1,662,687	1,619,664
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	1,842,780	1,741,306	1,842,780	1,741,306
Rural Infrastructure Finance
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Release of/(provision for) reserve for losses	44	(14)	33	366
Rural  Utilities | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	7,608	6,393	22,545	17,772
Less: reconciling adjustments	(29)	(31)	(88)	(95)
Net effective spread	7,579	6,362	22,457	17,677
Guarantee and commitment fees	338	279	988	841
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	7,917	6,641	23,445	18,518
Provision for of losses	(1,195)	(3,504)	2,324	(652)
Release of/(provision for) reserve for losses	44	(13)	34	367
Operating expenses	0	0	0	0
Total non-interest expense	44	(13)	34	367
Core earnings before income taxes	6,766	3,124	25,803	18,233
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(1,421)	(656)	(5,419)	(3,829)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	5,345	2,468	20,384	14,404
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Loss on retirement of preferred stock	0		0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	5,345	2,468	20,384	14,404
Total Assets	6,952,605	6,648,693	6,952,605	6,648,693
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	7,440,141	7,118,295	7,440,141	7,118,295
Renewable Energy | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	3,810	1,150	8,858	3,108
Less: reconciling adjustments	0	0	0	0
Net effective spread	3,810	1,150	8,858	3,108
Guarantee and commitment fees	187	24	465	69
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	3,997	1,174	9,323	3,177
Provision for of losses	(337)	(66)	(2,488)	(38)
Release of/(provision for) 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	3,660	1,108	6,835	3,139
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(768)	(233)	(1,435)	(659)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	2,892	875	5,400	2,480
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Loss on retirement of preferred stock	0		0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	2,892	875	5,400	2,480
Total Assets	985,435	320,572	985,435	320,572
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	1,095,008	330,575	1,095,008	330,575
Funding | Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information, Profit (Loss) [Abstract]
Net interest income	31,217	37,642	98,556	98,588
Less: reconciling adjustments	(305)	(3,230)	(4,902)	60
Net effective spread	30,912	34,412	93,654	98,648
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	3	0	3
Total revenues	30,912	34,415	93,654	98,651
Provision for of losses	0	0	0	0
Release of/(provision for) reserve for losses	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	0		0	0
Total non-interest expense	0	0	0	0
Core earnings before income taxes	30,912	34,415	93,654	98,651
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(6,492)	(7,226)	(19,666)	(20,716)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	24,420	27,189	73,988	77,935
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Loss on retirement of preferred stock	0		0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	24,420	27,189	73,988	77,935
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	943	473	2,079	397
Less: reconciling adjustments	0	59	0	186
Net effective spread	943	532	2,079	583
Guarantee and commitment fees	0	0	0	0
Gain on sale of investment securities	0		1,052
Losses on sale of mortgage loans	0		0
Other income/(expense)	10	6	21	17
Total revenues	953	538	3,152	600
Provision for of losses	(1)	(1)	1	4
Release of/(provision for) 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	952	537	3,153	604
Income tax (expense)/benefit	(201)	(113)	(664)	(127)
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	751	424	2,489	477
Preferred stock dividends	0	0	0	0
Loss on retirement of preferred stock	0		0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	751	424	2,489	477
Total Assets	6,389,160	4,866,969	6,389,160	4,866,969
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)	(8)	240	20	284
Total revenues	(8)	240	20	284
Provision for of losses	0	0	0	0
Release of/(provision for) reserve for losses	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses	(24,587)	(24,034)	(76,293)	(71,935)
Total non-interest expense	(24,587)	(24,034)	(76,293)	(71,935)
Core earnings before income taxes	(24,595)	(23,794)	(76,273)	(71,651)
Income tax (expense)/benefit	5,816	5,267	16,822	15,206
Core earnings before preferred stock dividends	(18,779)	(18,527)	(59,451)	(56,445)
Preferred stock dividends	(5,897)	(6,792)	(19,480)	(20,374)
Loss on retirement of preferred stock	0		0
Segment core earnings/(losses)	(24,676)	(25,319)	(78,931)	(76,819)
Total Assets	63,192	195,112	63,192	195,112
Total on- and off-balance sheet program assets at principal balance	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0