Accounting Policies - Cash and Cash Equivalents and Statements of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Cash paid during the period for: [Abstract]
Interest	$ 60,585,000	$ 54,674,000
Income taxes	11,750,000	13,000,000
Non-cash activity:
Real estate owned acquired through loan liquidation	0	1,034,000
Loans acquired and securitized as Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities	126,857,000	35,891,000
Consolidation of Farm & Ranch 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	129,305,000	35,891,000
Transfers of loans held for sale to loans held for investment	0	673,991,000
Transfer of Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities - Available-for-sale to Held-to-maturity	$ 1,589,775,000	$ 0