Tragedy strengthens bond for close-knit Williams family

Travelling overseas to nurture her love of horsemanship and working closely with her family on the farm are highlights.

Losing her only brother to cancer was the lowlight for Jess and her family.

Coalling, the Martin's 2000-hectare farm is a mixed sheep and cropping enterprise that has been in the family since 1883.

Running the property currently is Phil and Rennae Martin, who are slowly adjusting to life following the tragic death earlier this year of their son Sam at just 23 years of age.

Sam is the eldest of three Martin children and is survived by younger sisters Olivia, 22, and Jess.

The family is grateful Jess has returned to work on the farm full-time after spreading her wings since finishing school.

"We traditionally farm canola, oats, barley and lupins here, but that depends on the season," Ms Martin said.

"We are so glad Jess is back on the farm, she is her father, Phil's right-hand girl.

"She's always been a farm-work oriented kid and seamlessly steps back into working here every time she returns."

The three Martin children all attended Williams Primary School and even at primary school age Ms Martin said her youngest daughter was always keen to be an active contributor to the farm's day-to-day operations.

"As a young kid Jess would get off the bus with farm clothes under her school uniform, ready to take off and get straight to work," Ms Martin said.

After primary school Jess first attended St Mary's Anglican School in Perth before completing years 10 to 12 at WA College of Agriculture, Narrogin, following in her brother's footsteps.

While reflecting on the contribution their children have made to the farm, the Martins recalled times during harvest when the girls were in their teens.

"Back when the girls were teenagers, Olivia and Jess would happily drive the chaser bins," Ms Martin said.

"When Jess was 13 she decided to drive the chaser bin to earn a bit of money for the Christmas holidays," Mr Martin said.

"Then when my father retired from driving the truck at harvest, when Jess was 15, we really needed a header driver, so Jess stepped up and has been our main header driver ever since."

Mr Martin also recalled how young Jess was when she became interested in the farm's inner workings.

"Jessica's interest and practical involvement in the farm started around the age of five when she used to wander over to the sheep yards when the stock agent was out and help with weighing the lambs," he said.

After stints working with Elders Williams and CBH, Jess knew she wanted to travel to either the United States or Canada to further develop her tutelage with horses - and following her parent's suggestion she discussed her options with former instructor Sam Caporn.

Mr Caporn runs a Yornup-based horsemanship and training business and has worked with several members of the Martin family over the years.

Due to the skills and knowledge she developed while training with him, Mr Caporn encouraged the youngster to make contact with family-run Canadian working horse ranch Cardinal Ranch.

"Sam's advice was that at Cardinal Ranch I would not get paid, but I would experience better horses, and it would be a far better learning experience," Jess said.

"Sam said the alternative option was to go to a ranch in the US that would pay me for my time, but it would be far less educational and enjoyable.

"I was not sure at the start when I first got to Cardinal Ranch as I went on my own, it was my first time overseas alone, but it worked out so much better than I could have hoped."

Jess ended up staying at the ranch in Valemount, British Columbia, for four months.

After returning to Williams from Canada, she is proud to be working alongside her dad on the farm.

Mr Martin said in any time of need, their daughter would stop what she was doing and return to the farm to help out.

"Jess is fully involved in the sheep production and it's great to be able to set her a task and she just gets on and gets the job done," he said

"She's always been my right-hand girl, but since the tragic loss of our son she has been even more so.

"Her vibrant, can-do nature is an asset to her and she's always great fun and good company to have around."

Jess cherishes the father-daughter bond they have formed and remembers when the working connecting started to flourish as a youngster.

"I know dad's got full trust in me," she said.

"He just says I need these jobs done and I go ahead and do them.

"We sometimes work together, sometimes apart, but we have a solid working relationship and have had since I was about five.

"I was always over at the shed all the time, ready to help, ready to work in the sheep yards, ready on the motorbike, whatever it took."

Although Jess is not permanently on the farm, she is only a 10-minute drive away where she lives with partner Kris Edwards and border collie Digger.

"Jess and Kris are getting married here on the farm in October next year - something we are all really looking forward to," Ms Martin said.

The family had a deadline of finishing harvest in time so it could travel to Canada to spend Christmas and New Year celebrations with middle daughter Olivia who is working in the North American country, in the snow, not in a paddock like her sister.

"Harvest has been challenging," Jess said.

"Mainly we had issues at the beginning as we were still shearing when we were meant to start harvesting.

"Then we had mechanical issues with the header, but we have help now and things are underway so we will be done soon and can prepare for our trip to Canada."