Ownership Submission
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
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
KEOWN MICHAEL H
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
FARMER BROTHERS CO [FARM]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
PRESIDENT, CEO
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
FARMER BROS. CO., 1912 FARMER BROTHERS DRIVE
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/09/2018
(Street)

NORTHLAKE, TX 76262
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, $1.00 par value 03/09/2018   M(1)   23,333 A $ 11.81 68,405 D  
Common Stock, $1.00 par value 03/09/2018   S(2)   23,333 D $ 31.6963 (3) 45,072 D  
Common Stock, $1.00 par value               2,454 I By ESOP

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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 (right to buy) $ 11.81 03/09/2018   M     23,333   (1) 12/07/2019 Common Stock 23,333 $ 0 251,884 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
KEOWN MICHAEL H
FARMER BROS. CO.
1912 FARMER BROTHERS DRIVE
NORTHLAKE, TX 76262
  X     PRESIDENT, CEO  

Signatures

 /s/ Thomas J. Mattei, Jr., Attorney-in-fact for Michael H. Keown   03/13/2018
**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) Exercise of non-qualified stock option granted on December 7, 2012 under the Farmer Bros. Co. 2007 Omnibus Plan prior to its amendment and restatement in the form of the Farmer Bros. Co. Amended and Restated 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan ("2007 Plan"). The option vested pursuant to a three year vesting schedule whereby one-third of the total number of shares issuable under the option became exercisable each year on 12/7/2013, 12/7/2014 and 12/7/2015.
(2) This sale was made pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan previously adopted by the Reporting Person.
(3) Open market sale of shares from 3/9/2018 stock option exercise, with a portion of the proceeds delivered to the Issuer for payment of the exercise price of the option. This transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $31.50 to $31.90; the price reported above reflects the weighted average sale price. The Reporting Person hereby undertakes to provide full information regarding the number of shares and prices at which the transactions were effected upon request to the SEC staff, the Issuer, or a security holder of the Issuer. The Reporting Person continues to meet the Company's stock ownership guidelines.

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