FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN 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

OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Expires: January 31, 2005 Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * Backus William A.   2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol BALCHEM CORP [BCPC] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) Chief Accounting Officer (Last) (First) (Middle) C/O BALCHEM CORPORATION, 52 SUNRISE PARK ROAD 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 02/15/2018 (Street) NEW HAMPTON, NY 10958 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year) 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 Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock 02/15/2018   A   910 (1) A $ 0 17,904 D   Common Stock 02/15/2018   A   2,643 (2) A $ 0 20,547 D   Common Stock 02/15/2018   F   1,345 (3) D $ 74.57 19,202 D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
	Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.		SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)

1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)

2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security

3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)

3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)

4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)

5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5)

6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)

7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4)

8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)

9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)

10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)

11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)

Code

V

(A)

(D)

Date Exercisable

Expiration Date

Title

Amount or Number of Shares

Stock Option

$ 74.57

02/15/2018

A

3,650

(4)

02/15/2028

Common Stock

3,650

$ 0

3,650

D

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
	Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
Backus William A. C/O BALCHEM CORPORATION 52 SUNRISE PARK ROAD NEW HAMPTON, NY 10958			Chief Accounting Officer

Signatures

/s/ William A. Backus, by Attorney in Fact, Mark Stach		02/20/2018
**Signature of Reporting Person		Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(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 of the restricted stock does not vest in Reporting person until four years from 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.
(2)	Acquired upon the settlement of performance shares granted on February 19, 2018 based upon a predetermined EBITDA performance target and total shareholder return against the Russell 2000 Index over a three-year period under the Company's Second Amended and Restated 1999 Stock Plan (as amended and restated effective June 20, 2013) as a result of the satisfaction of those performance criteria.
(3)	1,345 of the 2,643 shares that vested February 15, 2018 were withheld to cover withholding taxes due upon vesting.
(4)	Options vest 20% year 1; 40% year 2; and 40% year 3.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.