FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *   Kuehner John Edward 2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year) 02/21/2017 3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol BALCHEM CORP [BCPC] (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O BALCHEM CORPORATION, 52 SUNRISE PARK ROAD 4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Vice President - Operations 5. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) (Street) NEW HAMPTON, NY 10958 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line) _X_ Form filed by One Reporting Person ___ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip) Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 4) 2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4) 3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5) 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5) Common Stock (1) 8,739 D   Common Stock (2) 1,343 D   Common Stock (3) 2,241 D Â

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.			SEC 1473 (7-02)
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Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	12/10/2009(4)	12/10/2018	Common Stock	11,000	$ 17.2	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	12/08/2010(4)	12/08/2019	Common Stock	18,000	$ 21.39	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	12/06/2011(4)	12/06/2020	Common Stock	13,900	$ 32.21	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	02/28/2013(4)	02/28/2022	Common Stock	11,284	$ 29.06	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	02/19/2014(4)	02/19/2023	Common Stock	9,197	$ 38.1	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	02/26/2015(4)	02/26/2024	Common Stock	4,236	$ 50.32	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	02/19/2016(4)	02/19/2025	Common Stock	7,120	$ 58.52	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	02/23/2016	02/23/2026	Common Stock	2,300	$ 60.85	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	02/23/2017(4)	02/23/2026	Common Stock	15,710	$ 60.85	D	Â
Employee Stock Option (right to buy)	02/20/2018(4)	02/20/2027	Common Stock	16,680	$ 85.4	D	Â

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Kuehner John Edward C/O BALCHEM CORPORATION 52 SUNRISE PARK ROAD NEW HAMPTON, NY 10958	Â	Â	  Vice President - Operations	Â

Signatures

/s/ John Edward Kuehner, by Attorney in Fact, Matthew Houston		03/02/2017
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5(b)(v).
**	Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1)	Ownership consists of 3,867 shares held in Reporting Person's Company 401(k)/profit sharing plan account, and 4,872 shares held directly.
(2)	Ownership of restricted stock vests in Reporting Person 4 years following the grant date and is further subject to restrictions on transfer in accordance with the provisions of a Restricted Stock Grant Agreement between the Issuer and the Reporting Person, dated February 26, 2014.
(3)	Ownership of restricted stock vests in Reporting Person 4 years following the grant date and is further subject to restrictions on transfer in accordance with the provisions of a Restricted Stock Grant Agreement between the Issuer and the Reporting Person, dated February 19, 2015.
(4)	Options vest 20% year 1; 40% year 2; and 40% year 3

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