izik, Flickr Creative CommonsHere's a single crawfish, or mudbug. It's considered a delicacy, both by Louisianans and their visitors and by the raccoons that steal them from traps in rice ponds.

In a dry spell, saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico can seep into Louisiana's aquifers. So far, though, the oil hasn't reached very far inland, and saltwater has not seeped into the farmers' wells.

A rich harvest is by no means assured, however.

Troublesome red rice shoots can appear amid the preferred white rice. Piglet-sized rats called nutria can gnaw levee tunnels that drain entire rice fields overnight.

Blackbirds by the thousands can descend and devour newly dropped seeds. Raccoons can turn over traps and eat every crawfish inside. A drought can begin at any moment. And low prices brought on by foreign competition can make the whole enterprise unprofitable.

In short, the Gulf oil spill might be the least of Louisiana rice farmers' worries right now.