Carrie Underwood says her Tennessee farm could keep her family going if it had to. Speaking Monday after a Disney-themed episode of "American Idol," the singer said she and her family of four could be self-sustained at home.
"I think if I had to, I could be self-sustained at home," Underwood said, adding that she loves growing things and sees it as "a great way to connect with the earth." She said the farm includes chickens, cows, sheep, donkeys, horses and a garden, and that her contribution to the family is the work she does there.
Underwood has leaned into that life even as her career has kept her in the spotlight. She won "American Idol" in 2005 and joined the show as a judge last year, but she told News Digital that she does not bring work home with her. "I don't bring work home with me," she said.
That separation matters to her because home is where she wants her two sons, Isaiah and Jacob, to see a different version of her. Underwood told "The View" last month that her children know her as mom at home and as a performer on stage. She said, "But mom makes dinner," and added, "I feel like a lot of other responsibilities are mine," as she described the routines that keep the household running.
Underwood said she raises livestock, cans foods, harvests her own fruits and vegetables and crochets, all while living away from Hollywood on the Tennessee farm she shares with husband Mike Fisher. A farm manager helps care for the sheep and horses while the family is away, a practical detail that underscores the balance between the country routine she values and the demands of entertainment. For Underwood, the answer to whether the farm is just for show is no: it is the place where she says her family’s life stays grounded.