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PBS show to feature Mt. Pleasant’s Kaleb Wyse
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MT. PLEASANT – A Mt. Pleasant man will be featured in an episode of the PBS show “Iowa Life” on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
The episode will introduce viewers to Kaleb Wyse, who the station describes as “a fourth-generation Iowa farmer who shares his love of cooking, canning and gardening through his popular blog, Wyse Guide.” The episode will air on PBS at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, and again during a rebroadcast at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 19.
“Hosted by Charity Nebbe, Iowa Life explores the exceptional lives of the individuals who call Iowa home. Through compelling interviews, scenic visuals and authentic storytelling, the series shines a spotlight on the cultural gems and inspiring stories that make Iowa the fascinating place it is,” stated a news release from PBS.
Wyse told The Union that he’s excited to be featured on PBS, especially since he grew up learning from the station’s Saturday morning cooking shows.
“It feels like a full-circle moment to be featured on Iowa Live,” he said. “The show does a great job at showcasing Iowans.”
Wyse started creating online content about cooking and gardening 13 years ago, and in recent years his popularity has exploded. Through his business Wyse Guide, Wyse publishes recipes and offers tips on gardening, baking, canning and more. His Facebook page has over 1 million followers, and his YouTube channel boasts more than 446,000 subscribers. Earlier this year, he published a cookbook that became a New York Times Bestseller called “There's Always Room at the Table: Farmhouse Recipes from My Family to Yours.”
The world of social media was very different when Wyse started in 2012, and at the time he had no idea what he wanted to do with his brand or how he could turn it into a business. He saw that videos were a way he could connect with people and express his passions, which have now blossomed into a business with six employees who help him with his videos, website, newsletters, yearly Holiday Magazines and cookbook.
“A cookbook always felt like a goal, a natural flow from the recipes I post,” Wyse told The Union.
An editor from Harper Collins reached out to Wyse, and he instantly felt that he had found the right publisher. But he also suffered from what he called “imposter syndrome” because there were already so many cookbooks on the market.
“What is the place for mine?” he asked himself.
Writing the book helped him understand there is indeed a place for the stories and food that shaped him. All his recipes are those reminiscent of dishes prepared by his mother, grandmother and even great-grandmother, and all ingredients are readily available in grocery stores in Southeast Iowa.
“The book became a love letter to my family and upbringing,” he said. “It is a two-year process to write a book, and we did all the photography in-house on my dining room table. Now, I'm working on book number two.”
Wyse’s other big project is promoting his Holiday Magazine 2025, which is available to order now and contains recipes, décor inspiration and holiday projects. The public can keep up with Wyse’s daily stories and videos, and all his recipes, at his website wyseguide.com.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
