Two foods share the August calendar, peaches and catfish, but their histories are less straightforward than the familiar “national month” labels suggest. Here in the Appalachian Highlands, the better reason to bring them together may simply be what is available at the market.

For readers in the Appalachian Highlands, peaches and catfish in August may have less to do with national designations than with what is actually available to put on the table.

Peaches in bushel baskets — Photo by Mark Stebnicki

August is National Peach Month. At least, that is how the observance is widely recognized today. Clemson Cooperative Extension, Rutgers Cooperative Extension and state agriculture agencies are among the organizations that have promoted August under that name.

The history behind that designation, however, has an unexpected wrinkle.

In 1982, Congress asked President Ronald Reagan to designate a National Peach Month. Reagan did so in Proclamation 4947, recognizing peaches’ importance to American agriculture and encouraging Americans to incorporate the fruit into their diets.

But the proclamation named July 1982—not August. The congressional resolution likewise specifically designated July.

That makes the frequently repeated claim that Reagan established August as National Peach Month incorrect. August has clearly become the customary month for the observance, but the 1982 federal action does not explain how or when the switch from July occurred.

The federal record also does not give a neat explanation for why Congress originally selected July. That may be less satisfying than the stories repeated on food-calendar websites, but it is what the historical record supports.

A Catfish swimming — Photo by Milos Prelevic

Catfish Took a Different Route

The federal history of catfish begins with a day, not a month.

Congress designated June 25, 1987, as National Catfish Day, and Reagan issued Proclamation 5672 that same day. The proclamation specifically recognized the rapid growth of the farm-raised catfish industry. Between 1975 and 1985, the proclamation said farm-raised catfish production increased by 1,200 percent.

The origins of the month-long August observance are less clearly documented in the federal record. What is clear is that National Catfish Month has continued as an industry and legislative observance. A 2024 U.S. Senate resolution designated August of that year as National Catfish Month, and the resolution noted that The Catfish Institute recognizes August as the observance.

USDA reported $358 million in U.S. catfish sales in 2024, and the industry is heavily concentrated in the South. Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas accounted for 95 percent of those sales.

A branch of peaches Peaches — A branch with peaches

Catfish Filets on ice photo by Sizzlefish. — A branch with peaches

Closer to Home, Let the Season Lead

Whatever month appears on the national calendar, the more immediate reason to talk about peaches in August is that locally grown peaches may still be showing up at area farmers markets.

Availability will vary from market to market and from week to week, so the best approach is simple: visit your local farmers market, talk with the growers, and see what is coming in from the orchard. A ripe peach bought directly from a farmer needs little help making the case for eating with the season.

That same approach can guide the other half of the plate.

Catfish is not a major farm product of Southwest Virginia or Northeast Tennessee in the way it is in Mississippi and Alabama, so finding it may require looking beyond the farmers market. Check seafood markets, fish counters, and other food retailers in your area to see what is available. If knowing where the fish was raised or processed matters to you, ask before you buy.

The goal is not to point readers toward one particular business. It is to start with the ingredients available in your community and make choices that fit how you want to shop and eat.

For this recipe, that might mean peaches, tomatoes, peppers, and herbs from a nearby farmers market, paired with catfish found elsewhere in your local area.

That is connection enough to put peaches and catfish on the same August table.

Photo Courtesy of the West Virginia Peach Festival

Festivals Follow the Season, Not the Calendar

The festival calendar reinforces that point. Celebrations involving peaches and catfish do not necessarily occur during their respective national months.

The West Virginia Peach Festival in Fort Ashby is an August event featuring farm-fresh peaches, food, entertainment, and community activities. Its 2026 festival included an August 8 Peach Festival 5K.

Catfish celebrations can come much earlier. The annual Catfish Festival at Jackson County Park in Scottsboro, Alabama, was held May 16 this year along Lake Guntersville, with catfish plates, fishing activities for children, arts and crafts, and other community events.

The dates don’t always match the national calendar. Local festivals tend to follow harvests, fishing seasons, weather, and community schedules instead.

Skillet Catfish with Warm Peach-Tomato Relish

Putting August on the Plate

Peaches and catfish don’t need a historic reason to share a plate just because they share space on the August calendar.

They just need a good culinary reason.

Catfish has a mild flavor that can handle assertive seasoning. A ripe peach brings sweetness, acidity and fragrance to savory dishes, particularly when paired with tomatoes, peppers or herbs that are also abundant in late summer.

So rather than reproducing the familiar combination of fried catfish topped with a cold peach salsa, we took the idea in another direction: seasoned skillet-cooked catfish accompanied by a warm peach, tomato and sweet-pepper relish.

For Bristol-area shoppers, peaches and catfish in August can begin with a couple of local stops: area farmers markets for peaches and other summer produce, and Greene’s Seafood Company for the fish.

And if you happen to find a peach as good as the one I recently tasted from Back Yard Farm, you may want to buy a few extra.

Some are best eaten before they ever make it into the recipe.

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Skillet Catfish with Warm Peach-Tomato Relish

Fresh peaches are good for more than cobblers and pies. Here, they're briefly warmed with tomato, sweet pepper, and cider vinegar to make a chunky, sweet-tart relish for seasoned catfish. Look for peaches that are fully flavored but still firm enough to hold their shape when heated. If you're shopping locally, peaches, tomatoes, peppers, and fresh herbs may all be available from area farmers-market growers such as Back Yard Farm. Catfish is available locally through Greene's Seafood Company's retail market in Bristol, Virginia.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Appalachian

Keyword catfish recipe, catfish with peaches, peach relish, peach tomato relish, skillet catfish, summer catfish recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Servings

Equipment

1 Mixing Bowl
1 Small Bowl
1 large cast-iron skillet
1 cooking thermometer

Ingredients

For the warm peach-tomato relish

2 medium firm-ripe peaches pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large ripe tomato seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 medium sweet bell pepper finely diced
1 small shallot or 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar plus more to taste
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

For the catfish

4 catfish fillets about 5 to 6 ounces each
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
1 tablespoon vegetable oil plus more as needed

Instructions

Prepare the relish ingredients. Place the peaches and tomato in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and honey.
Season the catfish. Pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Combine the paprika, garlic powder, thyme, salt, black pepper, and cayenne (if using). Season both sides evenly.
Cook the catfish. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the catfish without crowding the pan; work in two batches if necessary. Cook until well browned on the first side, then carefully turn the fillets and continue cooking until browned and cooked through. The thickest part of the fish should reach 145°F when measured with a food thermometer, the USDA-recommended minimum internal temperature for catfish. Transfer the fish to a plate and keep warm.
Cook the aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium. Add a little more oil to the skillet if necessary, then add the shallot and sweet pepper. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they begin to soften while retaining some texture.
Add the peaches and tomato. Add the peaches and tomato to the skillet and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, tossing gently. The goal is to warm the fruit and release a little juice without cooking the peaches until soft.
Finish the relish. Add the vinegar-honey mixture and toss gently to coat. Remove the skillet from the heat and fold in the basil or parsley. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, or cider vinegar if needed.
Serve. Place one catfish fillet on each plate and spoon the warm peach-tomato relish over or alongside the fish. Serve immediately.

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