If you follow the popular rural lifestyle and gardening brand Wyse Guide, you've likely wondered about the person behind the scenes. Kaleb Wyse has built a massive digital presence sharing seasonal recipes, historic home preservation, and farm life from his acreage in Iowa. Alongside his media success, fans frequently search for details about his personal life, specifically his relationship with his business partner and husband, Joel Kratzer.
Joel Kratzer plays an essential role both in Kaleb's personal life and in the daily operations of the Wyse Guide brand. While Kaleb serves as the primary on-camera presenter and creative force, Joel manages strategic operations, editing, and business development. Understanding their partnership offers a clearer picture of how a single-person passion project evolved into a multi-format media company, complete with bestselling books, print publications, and a thriving homestead.
Who Is Kaleb Wyse?
Kaleb Wyse grew up immersed in a fourth-generation farming heritage in southeast Iowa, learning traditional cooking, baking, and gardening methods from his mother and grandmother. He attended Eastern Mennonite University (EMU), where he cultivated his foundational approach to community engagement and education. After college, he began documenting his rural lifestyle online, eventually establishing Wyse Guide as a digital destination for scratch cooking, historic home restoration, and seasonal horticulture.
Over the years, the brand expanded from a simple blog and YouTube channel into a major lifestyle platform. Kaleb released his debut cookbook, There's Always Room at the Table, which became a New York Times bestseller. He followed this success with television appearances on national programs like Live with Kelly and Mark and The Drew Barrymore Show, cementing his status as a leading voice in modern homesteading and traditional homemaking.
Meet Joel Kratzer: Business Partner and Husband
Joel Kratzer grew up in Ohio and also attended Eastern Mennonite University, where he majored in business administration and accounting. His background in corporate governance, financial transparency, and operational efficiency proved vital as Kaleb's digital footprint began to scale rapidly.
While many public-facing creators struggle to manage the administrative side of digital media, Kaleb and Joel built a sustainable enterprise together. Joel serves as the co-founder, editor, and operations manager for Wyse Guide. His work behind the camera and behind the spreadsheets allows the brand to execute complex ventures, ranging from merchandise fulfillment to cookbook logistics and digital sponsorships.
Life at Knollgate Farm
The couple resides together on Knollgate Farm in Iowa, a historic property that serves as the physical backdrop for nearly all Wyse Guide content. The farm features extensive vegetable gardens, heirloom orchards, and lovingly restored historic buildings.
Life on the farm requires a significant labor investment. Planting seasons, canning marathons, and continuous property upkeep mean that both Kaleb and Joel maintain demanding work schedules. Their dog, Kip, often makes appearances in videos, adding a touch of warmth to their chronicling of rural living. Rather than maintaining strict boundaries between work and personal life, their shared enterprise integrates their domestic routines with their professional output.
The Wyse Guide Team Structure
Building a modern media brand requires more than a two-person operation. Alongside Kaleb and Joel, the Wyse Guide team includes specialized professionals who handle food styling, recipe testing, visual editing, and photography. This collaborative structure has allowed the brand to launch a print magazine, secure major publishing deals through HarperCollins, and maintain high engagement across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
Joel's financial oversight and strategic planning ensure that these creative expansions remain commercially viable. By combining Kaleb's front-facing presentation skills with Joel's operational discipline, they've created a resilient business model that thrives outside traditional network television studios.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Kaleb Wyse and Joel Kratzer meet?
The pair connected during their time at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia, where both developed foundations that later influenced their professional and personal paths.
What is Joel Kratzer's role in Wyse Guide?
Joel serves as the co-founder, operations manager, and editor. He oversees the business side of the brand, including financial management, strategic partnerships, and behind-the-scenes production workflows.
Where is Knollgate Farm located?
Knollgate Farm is situated in southeast Iowa, providing the rural setting where Kaleb films his gardening, cooking, and seasonal home-decorating segments.
Does the team include other members?
Yes. Beyond Kaleb and Joel, the staff features dedicated recipe developers, food stylists, and visual editors who produce the content seen across the Wyse Guide website, social channels, and print publications.