Our Team

Mark + Laurie Neal

Residents of the Wenatchee Valley for the last 45+ years, it only made sense to keep their new farmstead project within the beautiful Pacific Northwest! Married in 1980, they raised three children, are both fans of the outdoors and each have unique skill sets that make farmsteading the perfect fit.

Mark graduated from Washington State University in 1978 and is the Owner and Principal of Mj Neal Associates Architectural firm in Wenatchee. Aside from running a business and dozens of personal home remodels over the years, Mark designed and manufactured an upcycled semi-truck trailer into the fully functioning, sterile, refrigerated mobile cheese processing facility that Laurel’s Crown uses today. Additionally, Mark is now a master at antique equipment maintenance & repair and often says,“it took 40 years, but turns out I’m a farmer after all”.

After being an elementary school para-pro and then going on to work for the non-profit organization, Camp Fire Boys & Girls, Laurie graduated from Washington State University/ Michigan State University in 2000 with a Masters Degree in Child Development and joined the Gear Up Grant program until 2014. Already a skilled gardener, canner, baker and cook, she began creating cheese in 2016 out of their dining room. She perfected her craft and went on to receive a Good Food award for her Bebe cheese in 2017. Her cheese had placements all over Washington State until they halted production in 2018 to start preparing the farmstead and micro-dairy in Chelan, Washington.