Farmer Mac Guaranteed Securities and USDA Guaranteed Securities - Trading Securities (Details) - USDA Securities [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Trading, at fair value	$ 20,388	$ 28,975
USDA Guarantees [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Trading Securities, Debt, Amortized Cost	20,737	29,063
Trading, at fair value	$ 20,388	$ 28,975
Trading Securities, Weighted-Average Yield	5.44%	5.53%

Amount of investments in debt and equity securities and other forms of securities that provide ownership interests classified as trading.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66010992&loc=d3e26626-111562

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66010992&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Trading Securities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6526789

Name:	us-gaap_TradingSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant