The startup has created an Indiegogo campaign to save some of the nearly 50 million birds from the slaughter each Thanksgiving by educating the public on what meat of the future could look and taste like.

While I am not crazy about posting Indiegogo campaigns, the company says this one is about getting the word out, not so much about raising funds to make turkey or other meats. In fact, Memphis Meats has already raised $3 million in seed funding to harvest animal cells and grow their meat in a petri dish.

The animal industrial complex is terrible for the planet and us, says Memphis Meats. It takes 660 gallons of water to produce one hamburger and, according to the CDC, raw meat is a major source of bacteria causing food-borne illnesses. So instead, the startup grows biologically identical meat in the lab, gathered from animal cells, essentially creating real meat, but cruelty-free and planet friendly.

Now Memphis Meats says it wants to get the market ready in time for its “clean meat” products to hit shelves in the next five years.

Memphis Meats definitely has its work cut out. I’ve asked several vegan friends in the past if they’d eat meat grown in a lab and most either said they weren’t sure or were grossed out by the idea. But cultured animal products like Memphis Meats might be perfect for meat lovers who don’t currently eat it because of concerns for health or the environment.