Ownership Submission
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 *
  Richardson Paul H
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
06/24/2005
3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
BALCHEM CORP [BCP]
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O BALCHEM CORPORATION, PO BOX 600
4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
V.P. Research and Development
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)

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
Incentive Stock Option (1) 10/25/2002(2) 10/24/2011 Common Stock 1,500 $ 14.1 D  
Incentive Stock Option (1) 09/12/2003(2) 09/11/2012 Common Stock 1,950 $ 15.37 D  
Incentive Stock Option (1) 12/12/2004(2) 12/11/2013 Common Stock 6,000 $ 15.23 D  
Incentive Stock Option (1) 09/16/2005(2) 09/15/2014 Common Stock 15,000 $ 19.73 D  
Incentive Stock Option (1) 06/24/2006(2) 06/23/2015 Common Stock 10,000 $ 29.67 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Richardson Paul H
C/O BALCHEM CORPORATION
PO BOX 600
NEW HAMPTON, NY 10958
      V.P. Research and Development  

Signatures

/s/ Paul H. Richardson, PhD 07/05/2005
**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) The options constitute sign-on grant upon the reporting person's commencement of employment and other merit award grants.
(2) 20% of the options granted become exercisable on the indicated date (which is the first anniversary of the date of grant). An additional 40% of the options granted become exercisable on the second anniversary of the date of grant, and an additional 40% of the options granted become exercisable on the third anniversary of the date of grant.

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

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